Dozer
Call It Conspiracy

THE REVIEW

The lovers of stoner rock have surely learned to appreciate them. Others do not view them favorably, perhaps due to the sonic proximity to Josh Homme's Kyuss. And yet, in cold and remote Sweden, Dozer has thrived and set roots so deep that one can't even imagine "desert rock" in one of the coldest nations on the planet. They've made the musical offering of the great bands of the genre their own in order to reinterpret it in a "modern" way, a mode of making music that by style and sound evokes the rawness of the '70s/'80s. And so, after two works titled "In the Tail of a Comet" and "Madre de Dios," which even today appear as almost unreachable objects of the band, the third album titled "Call it Conspiracy" allowed the four members to be appreciated in other countries, mainly European ones.

Aware of carrying a musical heritage that is difficult for the Swedish public to understand and perhaps also "out of fashion" in recent years, Dozer's career deserves respect right from this concept. It was understood that Sweden is not the homeland of "desert rock." Moreover, after two albums received coldly by the public, the life of Fredrik Nordin's band seemed destined to end prematurely. And yet, Dozer has given birth to three platters in three years, and with Call it Conspiracy, they made that half-step forward that has since projected them into a wider musical circuit, becoming one of the new hopes of stoner rock. The formula is the simplest, with the instruments well-positioned in their place: distorted guitars creating acid and powerful riffs, a pulsating bass that acts as an additional guitar, and Nordin's voice perfectly suited to the compositions of the group. Virtuosity and various experiments are set aside to make way for classicism.

That the band knew how to do it, they had already proven, particularly with the rough debut "In the Tail of a Comet." With "Call it Conspiracy" they fully confirm it, although the presence of some frankly unnecessary tracks does not underscore its definitive explosion. If "Rising" is indeed a true hit, the same cannot be said for the bland and rushed "The Exit". Of a whole other ilk are the powerful "A Matter of Time" and "Man Made Mountain", which foreshadow what I consider the ascending climax of the album: I am talking about "Way to Redemption", which also stands out for its sound choice, slightly more complex compared to the first part of the album. Another splendid example of stoner rock comes from "Black Light Revolution", while the two tracks that close the album, "Glorified" and "Lightning Stalker", are rather useless and risk being seen as fillers.

This is not enough to mar a truly well-crafted statue. Maybe crude in some parts and unoriginal in others, but for how it was born and how it is preserving itself, it appears to be one of the best realities in its genre. Now one just needs to sit in front of a nice mug, surrounded by lifelong friends, and let oneself be carried away by the warm notes coming from cold Sweden.

1. "The Hills Have Eyes" (4:03)
2. "Rising" (3:37)
3. "Feelgood Formula" (5:18)
4. "The Exit" (2:10)
5. "Spirit Fury Fire" (5:06)
6. "A Matter Of Time" (3:24)
7. "Man Made Mountain" (4:51)
8. "Way To Redemption" (4:23)
9. "Crimson Highway" (3:01)
10. "Black Light Revolution" (5:28)
11. "Glorified" (3:46)
12. "Lightning Stalker" (5:47)