StormLand- Severe (2016)

StormLand- Severe (2016)

By: Ghost Writer

Russia, apart from literary delights like Dostoevsky, Solzhenitzyn or Sorokin, and cinema greats line Eisenstein and Tarkovsy has given me some great musical output to enjoy, just think about lo fi, do it yourself outlaw psychedelic punk rocker Yegor Letov immediately makes me want to put his records and listen to him for hours, the magic of Letov music, recorder secretly in order not to be discovered by KGB makes the musical experience to become more daring, in a sense you feel really close to Letov hiding while recording his music; There is also metal band Korrozia Metalla, a chaotic and monstrous band that defines and give us an exact idea of how Russia felt when communism disintegrated, a great listen at high volume; So when it comes to Russian heavy music, I'm always open for more of that wonderful stuff, and StormLand, hailing from Saint Petersbug seems to be a band destined for international star status, as their music speaks an almost universal language and their appeal knows no borders, geopolitical fractions or sanctions imposed, that can stop it from being heard

Severe is StormLand´s 2016 new record and it quickly shows a band that plays hard and heavy, adding unexpected touches of southern heavy riffing metal and that dirty and scary NOLA stuff known as sludge, and that's precisely what we is presented in opener Fool's Gold, a song with a great swagger and tremendously infectious guitars, a band that could easily get along with bands like Trouble, Alabama Thunder Pussy or Down, mixing excruciating doom, menacing sludge, troublesome southern rock and hot blues with admirable results, sometimes even recalling heavily an early Alice Cooper, when they were a band and not a just a guy, and in songs like Rocket Ride getting really loud and fast with some surprising interplay and a great growling vocal performance.

But the biggest surprises come in the form of At The Point of No Return, a song featuring a powerful melody combining the strength and passion of Southern heavy metal with some Russian style nostalgia, that, and great guitar soloing, just before going into totally devastating mode on the martial march called Super Ego and on the almost epic discharge of Under One Flag.

Severe is a record that immediately demands attention, presenting us a band that refuses to meet any expectations, that goes beyond their Russian heritage and embraces something more raw, and universal, quickly developing a unique voice and sound that is ready for the world circuit; StormLand is a band whose name is sure to be known beyond the confines of the enormous Mother Russia.