DOPELORD, MAJOR KONG, SPACE SLUG, WEEDPECKER- ‘Split’
Those band names and that cover art tell you almost everything you need to know about this. Almost. For while there’s a strong smell of medicinal herbs drifting off every riff here, there’s no dumb fug or directionless waffle, only stoner rock done just right. Each band does it in a different way too. Dopelord unfurl ominous, thick-riffed doom with serious Sabbath vibes, Major Kong keep up their incredibly constant, consistent output with a more agile, shifting ripper (and the only instrumental effort here), Spaceslug incorporate starry-eyed cosmic rock, and while Weedpecker’s contribution is the shortest, it’s a shimmering, standout effort. One thing the bands do have in common is that they all, perhaps unexpectedly, hail from Poland. There’s enough quality here to entertain any fan of heavy music but if you only associate stoner rock with Californian deserts, this is essential listening.
