Acrimony
Tumuli Shroomaroom

With the exception of some of its extreme representatives (Electric Wizard and Iron Monkey above all), the so-called "stoner" has never really thrilled me. Perhaps it's because I'm not the biggest fan of joints and freaks, or maybe it's because I've already heard and absorbed certain riffs by wearing out the early Sabbath albums, but those few times I've listened to Spiritual Beggars, Orange Goblin, Fu Manchu and the like... I certainly didn't jump for joy!

However, there is an exception, and it is represented (Kyuss aside) by Acrimony. A Welsh band with little hope that undeservedly fell into oblivion.

Yet I remember, in that distant 1996, the wicked scribblers praising this amazing quintet with foam at the mouth! But it was those very same people who shelved such a valid reality in no time at all!

And it's a real shame because, after this magical masterpiece, they were forced to put their instruments in the attic, giving up a career that perhaps today would have catapulted the guys into the hall of fame of the most acid rock.

I repeat: damn trends and damn scribblers!

But the record? Oh yes, the record! How is it? Fantastic!

Take that sound so dear, albeit at different times, to Black Sabbath and Kyuss. Stretch it out of proportion, deform it, embellish it and voilà! Here are Acrimony in their golden years!

Here, we are not faced with the excruciating stoner-sludge chaos but, fortunately, we are equally distant from the indie rock of bland groups like the Queen Of The Stone Age (DeBaser forces me to capitalize their initials but I honestly wouldn't!).

Liquid notes, pachydermic, long, dragging songs and, furthermore, played with a robust dose of personality!

We are not, as someone wrote, on the level of Kyuss but it doesn't matter! Pure and uncontaminated stoner rock, with some doom elements and a lot of psychedelic aroma.

The titles of the most beautiful songs? "Hymn To The Stoner", "Milion Year Summer" and "Firedance" but, on second thought, even the other titles are nothing to sneeze at!

Strangely, the record was produced and released by Peaceville Records, a label from Paul Halmshaw, specializing in more gloomy forms of doom and usually not very interested in Sabbath-inspired deviations of this forty-year-old sound (if you think about it, Sabbath's debut was released in '70!).

An album that made history and that, together with more famous titles, must appear on the shelves of stoner fans and, more generally, on those of every lover of good rock.