Dozer
Beyond Colossal

"What on earth does Sweden have to do with music that comes from the desert?" It's a question I asked myself often, in fact, every time I approached this Scandinavian band. Just to be clear, there's no infatuation with specific geographical areas (although it's not that bad in California), no aversion to the nation that has given and, fortunately, continues to give birth to a "movement" that I believe is highly coveted by the Italian and international public: "the Swedes".

I've always heard of Dozer frequently, within a sonic melting pot (the stoner genre), which seems to be in constant evolution, and presents, depending on the groups, different characteristics (just to give an example, it can range from pure psychedelia, to the most extreme digressions: I'm referring to sludge and Sabbath-school doom). These four guys from the cold never enthused me much until their latest effort fell into my hands: "Beyond Colossal" (Small Stone) released just over two months ago. Works exactly like: "Blues for the red sun" and "Welcome to the sky valley," perhaps there won't be any more, but believe me, at first listen, this album left me almost completely knocked out. Strongly influenced by the masters Kyuss, in this record, they do work that, for innovation, originality, and production, had never been heard before in the vast world of stoner rock.

Listened to and re-listened to multiple times, it makes me think of a perfect mix of psychedelia, alternative, and guitar riffs that in some cases strongly remind me of the early Queens of the Stone Age: "Grand Inquisitor." I dare an even stronger comparison: a bit like hearing (also) some reimagined Mars Volta in a heavy but less virtuosic way: "Ekoskeleton pt II"-"The Ventriloquist" (listen to believe). Another strength of the album is the solid voice of singer Fredrik Nordin, furthermore supported by the excellent Neil Fallon (voice of Clutch) in the angriest track: "Empire's End" and in the longest track: "Two Coins for Eyes". Final surprise, you'll hear the notes of a Hammond, which closes the album in the most "distant" way possible, surely making it one of the best things released in 2008.

Are we facing the official birth of the new "post-stoner" era? I'm not sure yet, but while waiting for concrete answers, I fully trust the yellow-blue colors, highly re-com-men-d-ing you to listen to it. I darken all five black dots. Now you be the judge.