True to form for the Stockholm jammers’ penchant for open structures and extended spontaneous interludes, there is a whole host of guests on their new live album, Root Jam. That’s nothing new for Siena Root, who even on their own number anywhere from a four- to a six-piece band, and whose last studio offering, Different Realities (2009), lived up to its title in terms of its diversity of approach and melding heavy riffs, jams and excursions into psychedelic and subcontinental-Asian songwriting.

Root Jam leaves space for plenty of that as well, and at nearly 92-minutes, the album is a two-disc beast. A cut like the organ-heavy “Words” reaches well over 12 minutes to end the record/set’s first half, and the whole midsection of the song is Eastern instrumentation met with killer guitar leads. There are several such passages throughout, and Siena Root know how to keep it flowing and cohesive, despite the variety they bring out of the music.

Transubstans Records was kind enough to let me host the more straightforward “The Rat” for your streaming pleasure. If you’ve never heard Siena Root before, it’s a pretty good place to start, the guest vocals adding soul to the bluesy groove of the riffs. Hope you dig it:

Root Jam is out in October on Transubstans Records. More info available at the label’s site. Here’s what they have to say about it:

Above all else, this extensive double live album is a resume of Siena Root‘s early years. This album features all the elements of the band, from their debut up to recent days. They have managed to pour the band’s dynamic energy from the stage right into this box of 91 minutes root rock. You will for sure find the good old heavy riffs, side-by-side with psychedelic vibes and groovy jams.

But there is more, much more to experience in this magnificent album. There are no less than nine guest artists featured, with a range from classical violin by Martin Stensson from Swedish radio symphonic orchestra, to legendary blues guitarist Maxi Dread. You will also find a lot of Siena Root family from the past such as Tängman and vocalists Oskar and Sanya performing songs on a new level. On top of it all you get previously unreleased material and two rare acoustic tracks that reveal a new side of the band. The album will also be released on LP by Headspin Records.

The last several years have seen the rise of a new generation of Swedish heavy rock. Spearheaded by varied acts like Witchcraft, Graveyard, Asteroid, Blowback and Truckfighters, the long-standing tradition of quality Swedish riffing (as heard in the wave prior from the likes of Lowrider, Demon Cleaner, Dozer’s early work and The Quill), has become more self-contained, so that Swedish bands no longer have to look solely to those outside their country for influence. Enter the young Norrköping foursome Skraeckoedlan, who make their debut on Transubstans with the 10-track Äppelträdet (“apple tree”). The band, whose name translates in English to “horror lizard” – and the cover of the album bears that out – pull more from their countrymen stylistically than anywhere else, most notably from Truckfighters, whose signature fuzz, pulsing bass and bouncing energy is all over these tracks. They come by it honestly enough, however, as Truckfighters bassist/vocalist Oskar “Ozo” Cedermalm recorded and produced Äppelträdet, making it easier to read their absorption of those elements as intentional and conscious rather than due to a lack of originality. Skraeckoedlan also bring some of their own flavor, adding deeper tonal heft to songs like opener “Världarnas fall” and the vocal interplay between rhythm guitarist Robert Lamu and bassist Tim Ångström pushing into more individualized material.

Still, when Henrik Grüttner’s leads cut through the formidable riffage surrounding, they do so with fuzz strikingly reminiscent of Truckfighters’ own Niklas “Dango” Källgren, and that’s likely to be the first place anyone who’s heard the Örebro desert cruisers is likely to go for comparison when it comes to Äppelträdet. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, and as Skraeckoedlan pepper in Mastodonic call and response growls for the chorus of second track “Soluppgång,” the personality diversifies somewhat, however familiar the low end sway of the groove might otherwise be. The shorter instrumental “Chronos” shows more melodic interplay between Grüttner and Lamu on guitar and showcases drummer Martin Larsson’s formidable pulse – another element of Skraeckoedlan’s sound greatly aided by Cedermalm’s production; the crash cymbal sounds like it’s a mile wide – leading directly and smoothly into the title cut, where Ångström’s rumble adds metallic distortion to underscore the groove. “Äppelträdet” has what might be the album’s catchiest chorus and best lead work from Grüttner, as the solos seem to build one after the other in intensity until finally the track can’t hold any more and it bursts back into the chorus. Like most of the album, the song is fluid, accessible and easy to follow despite any language barrier that might exist, and the vibrancy is only heightened as Skraeckoedlan move into “Haven,” which seems to run headfirst through its first half into a break that, were it coming from an American pop-punk band, would be the stuff of teenage anthems. The fuzz pervades, and as the intricate riff they started with returns, it’s all the more appreciable just how much potential Äppelträdet shows.

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Listening to Rodeo Eléctrica, Stockholm rockers Ponamero Sundown’s second offering through Transubstans, I had to go back and make sure I had the right band. From what I recalled of the four-piece from their Stonerized debut (review here), they were gleeful in their stoner-rockingness, a little boozy, and primarily fuzzed out in the Swedish tradition. Rodeo Eléctrica, on the other hand, is slick and almost commercial sounding in its overall affect, the band forsaking the unassuming good times of “Alcoholic Deathride” and “Doctor of Evil” for the straightforward crunch of “1025” and the processed-sounding drums that launch the album on opener “Evil Wand.” It’s a shock, but had I not heard Stonerized, Rodeo Eléctrica probably wouldn’t sound so different from a lot of the less-fuzzed end of European stoner rock. Certainly the post-Colour Haze extended jam ethic that’s taken hold south of Scandinavia in Germany and The Netherlands doesn’t apply to Ponamero Sundown, but what they’re doing on Rodeo Eléctrica’s 13 tracks should still be familiar enough to anyone who’s heard their labelmates and countrymen Abramis Brama or Stonewall Noise Orchestra.

What Rodeo Eléctrica most has in common with Stonerized and with the above-noted Swedish acts is its consistency of songwriting. In a way the album feels very pieced-together from necessary components – they have the softer cuts in “Sorrows” and “Fathomless Nothingness,” the interludes in “Rodeo Eléctrica Part I” and the acoustic “Not the Time,” the slower, more contemplative “The Ghost” and plenty of upbeat rock in between on songs like “Sorrows,” “The Dice,” “1025” and “Shot for Glory” – but however familiar these elements might be, Ponamero Sundown put them to excellent use and place them precisely where they need to be for the record to work. The production is a major factor in the sound shift and in a lot of ways, it sounds like they had a checklist of what a heavy rock album needed and then set about filling it in their writing. As the final moments of “The Ghost” pick up and the song leads into Rodeo Eléctrica’s most memorable cut, “Goddess of the Sun,” I won’t deny they pull it off, but it’s worth acknowledging that Ponamero Sundown – guitarist Anders, bassist Oliver, vocalist Nicke and drummer Peter – sound conscious of every move they’re making here, and no matter how crisp the recording is or the quality of the songcraft, that the inevitable sacrifice is a feeling of spontaneity and novelty in the finished product.

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If nothing else, I look at a record like Standing Alone, the third album by Sweden’s Mother Misery (first on Transubstans Records) as proof of a big divide in the culture of commercial rock. Listening to this album, there isn’t a hair out of place. The four-piece are tight, they are produced smoothly, and they are playing bare-bones riff-based hard rock. In the States, this kind of thing simply doesn’t exist. We don’t have that kind of rock culture. We get bands like Hinder, who jerk off all over some weird semi-jingoist patriotism while spoon-feeding audiences lowest-common-denominator accessibility. An act like Mother Misery writes songs no less infectious or engaging on an audience level, but – somehow – manage not to sound like complete tools in the process. Standing Alone isn’t the kind of album that I, an American with given prejudices against commercial rock, am going to go back to for repeat listens, but after making my way through its 11 ultra-radio-friendly tracks, I can really only stand in awe of it. For what it is, the album is near flawless.

Longtime heads and skilled internet researchers will recognize vocalist/guitarist John Hermansen from The Awesome Machine or Stonewall Noise Orchestra. An immensely talented singer, he’s given his due on Standing Alone, and is central to carrying across much of the album’s melody. Hermansen started Mother Misery in the middle part of the last decade with guitarist Thomas Piehl. They released two albums – Grandiosity in 2004 and All Eyes on You in 2007, with the For the Crows EP between in 2006 – on Daredevil Records, and though I recall those releases (I never heard the EP) being more straightforward than anything The Awesome Machine ever did in terms of shedding the stoner rock genre, Standing Alone is a new level entirely. “Stoner” doesn’t enter into it. The riffs from Hermansen and Piehl may lead the way for the band, with bassist Stiff Hell and drummer Jimmy Lindbergh following, but I wouldn’t consider Mother Misery a stoner band by any stretch, even with Hermansen’s connections to that world. Rather, tracks like the side-B mood-piece “Eyes of the Moth” or the more upbeat “Inside the Hive” that precedes it represent real hard rock. It’s not something you hear every day.

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Yeah, I’d call the new Obelisk Forums a win for the number of people signed up, posts posted and awesome pictures of birds making pasta, but more so, because (thanks to user diasdegalvan) I’ve found a new band to dig on. They’re called Brutus and they’re Norwegian. I thought I’d share the clip below in case anyone else didn’t catch it in General Discussion or hasn’t signed up for the forums yet.

We first met with Blowback on their split with fellow Swedish up and comers Asteroid, then dived headfirst into their self-released Morning Wood LP. Now the Örebro four-piece follow-up with a new full-length, 800 Miles, on Transubstans Records. Considering the musical climate in their native country, the success of acts like Graveyard and Witchcraft, it’s not all that surprising they’ve gone for a more “vintage” sound this time through, but what Blowback has also managed to maintain is a modern sense of catchiness and production that manages to bring out the sweetness of tone without sacrificing volume or clarity.

And, in hindsight, neither their contributions to the Asteroid split or Morning Wood felt particularly locked in sound-wise. The debut was decent. It didn’t hurt anyone, and the overall vibe was chill, rife with fuzz and charming on a simplistic kind of level. Tracks like “No Soul” on 800 Miles show a nearly titular distance from that kind of material, but also demonstrate a growth the band has undergone that makes this change feel more natural. It’s not a question of whether it was on purpose (of course it was), or whether Blowback’s next album will have the same retro aesthetic, but of how well do they do with the style within which they’ve chosen to work.

The answer to that question is they do quite well with it. The modern approach to a classic sound suits Blowback, and Seb’s guitars sound thicker than anything you might have actually heard come out in 1971, Stefan’s vocals bring a little soul to the proceedings and the rhythm section of Chris and Henke (bass and drums, respectively) are rarely understated and a big part of what makes songs like “Butterfly” have the drive they do. Henke’s tom work on “Crossroad” pushes that later track into highlight territory, as he deftly keeps pace with the guitar and Stefan’s singing while making it sound easy and natural as only the best drummers can.

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I just popped on Different Realities, the latest and fourth full-length from Swedish analog experimentalists Siena Root (on Transubstans, if you’re curious), and not only does it rock a good deal, but the concept of the record is pretty cool as well. There are 10 tracks total, but it’s two pieces of music under the headings “We” and “The Road to Agartha.” “We” is exceptionally well done retro ’70s vibes, guitar rock, intricate and a cool listen. I knew that, I’d heard either a promo of the record or some mp3s a while back, I can’t remember which.

It’s only after I got the physical album itself — do you see, downloaders, what you could be missing? — that the full dichotomy of the release made itself known. From previous listens, I just thought it was an album that started (relatively) straightforward and morphed into a huge India-style jam. Turns out not only is that on purpose, it’s the whole point. About “The Road to Agartha,” the band writes:

“The Road to Agartha” is a musical piece in the form of a raagmala. The raags, being the melodic framework of Hundustani classical music, are here presented together with both sha’abi and baladi rythms (sic) from Northern Africa. Also, the classic rock setting is in dialogue with traditional and medieval instruments from the very same places where people throughout history have been looking for entrances to Agartha. This is not only a meeting of cultures, but also a journey through time and space.

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Especially since, although I find it to be a beautiful language when spoken both in and out of Ingmar Bergman films, I have no actual knowledge of Swedish, I feel justified in boasting that when reading the title of Abramis Brama?s latest album, Smakar S?ndag (Transubstans), I was able to figure out the second word translated to ?Sunday.? So hooray for me. According to Google, the whole title is ?Tastes Like Sunday.? Even if that?s wrong, I?ll take it for the pun.

The Stockholm/Farsta outfit, who?ve added a second guitarist in Robert Johansson and a new drummer in Fredrik ?Trisse? Liefvendahl (Grand Magus) since 2005?s Rubicon, have always been a back-of-the-mind band for me. I know they?re out there, and I know they?re pretty good, but rarely does it occur to me to track down any of their stuff. I don?t think it?s the language issue, but I don?t have a good answer either way — especially after hearing Smakar S?ndag, which kicks all kinds of ?70s grooving ass.

There?s definitely a retro aspect to Abramis Brama?s shenanigans, but I?d put them more in league with straightforward rockers like Firebird rather than their country?s doomier obsessed vintage-philes like Witchcraft and the sundry bands that have come in their wake. Plus, since Abramis Brama formed in 1997, they?ve got some years behind them now. Smakar S?ndag is their sixth full-length, and it is every bit an accomplishment of classic stoner rock.

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Seems curious that a band from Stockholm might take their name from a form of plant life that grows almost exclusively in the tropics, but the trio Mangrove have done precisely that, and on their Transubstans debut, Endless Skies, they blend elements of fuzz-laden hippie stoner rock and light psychedelia for nine competent tracks of warm, familiar-sounding jams. They?re not likely to revolutionize the genre, but if they were opening for Truckfighters, I?d be there in a second.

It might just be Seemless on my brain lately, but in opener ?Universal Time? I hear shades of that Massachusetts band?s self-titled first offering ? namely in the vocals of bassist Jani Kataja, who seems to check Jessie Leach?s non-screaming work on ?In My Time of Need? and ?Lay My Burden Down,? reinterpreting and incorporating melodies and lines into the Mangrove context. It doesn?t pervade so much throughout the rest of Endless Skies, and it could be a common Chris Cornell or other influence, but it stuck out in my head and so I figured it was worth a mention in case I wasn?t the only one who noticed.

?Universal Time,? at 5:16, is the longest cut on Endless Skies , and Mangrove generally keep their songwriting straightforward, allowing for some lead guitar layering and acoustics from six-stringer/backing vocalist Magnus Jernstr?m on ?River of My Soul? without ever crossing over into obnoxious self-indulgence. If anything, the simplistic approach adds to the overall flow of the album, so that even a track like the interlude ?Back by the Mountainside,? which is almost entirely guitar strumming and cymbal waves from drummer Fredrik Broqvist doesn?t feel out of place for the sonic change it represents. You just know that once ?Electric Eye? kicks in, it?s back to catchy riffs and grooves, and sure enough, you?re right.

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Waving out the open windows of a speeding supercharged boogie van fueled by riffs and secondhand smoke, Swedish stoner rockers Ponamero Sundown don’t care if it’s grass, gas or ass — everyone rides for free. As they issue their first full-length following several demos, the aptly-titled Stonerized (Transubstans), this fuzzsome foursome emit 12 tracks of classic ’90s-style stoner groove brought into the 21st Century with modern production and slick tones.

There’s a little bit of everything within the genre of stone, and even some elements drawn from without — the chorus riff of “Curtain Call,” for example, seems to be culled from Annie Lennox‘s “Sweet Dreams” — but mostly one can point to a riff or a segment and place it somewhere within the canon. “Rotten Religion” is a little darker, but “Live the Lie” sparks a bowl of And the Circus Left Town-era Kyuss and “Doctor of Evil” resonates old Dozer and Truckfighters‘ thoughtful neo-fuzz. It’s a balance of what you’d expect and what you’d probably expect a little less. Some Colour Haze-style guitar leads the way for “Intermission (Heartbreak Disease),” which ultimately warps into a The Awesome Machine-style build. Ponamero Sundown mix it all well enough to come out with an individual sound, if one well in place within its scene.

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