Nauseahtake - Laws of Universal Gravitation (2015)
Nauseahtake's debut album, Laws Of
Multiversal Gravitation, beckons its listeners in with an eerie sound
sample played over a didgeridoo drone. Plenty of bands have started
off their albums in such a way, but Amsterdam's Nauseahtake actually
offer a really fresh, interesting take on the genres they tackle.
The influences on this album are clearly wide-reaching and the scope
of the band's ambition is impressive. At various times in the 25
minute opening song, “The Crust”, I'm reminded of Amon Duul II
and Hawkwind. Further into the song, they take on a more overtly
metal sound, with crushing riffs and relentless drumming delivered
with real gusto and aggression when needed, while at other times, the
band can create a sound delivered with calculated understatement and
sinister power.
Laws Of Multiversal Gravitation
definitely gets very heavy at times, but quite often I'm reminded
more of classic psychedelic heavy rock than anything too doomy in the
classic sense of the word, not that that's any bad thing. Nauseahtake
rock out when they need to but also know when it's best not to
be too heavy. That understanding of subtlety is not something too
many bands have a decent grasp on, so it's refreshing to hear a band
this accomplished at both real heaviness and lighter, more
atmospheric sections.
The ambition shown in these three
tracks is really impressive. While many heavy bands are happy to
simply repeat a couple of choice riffs for half an hour and call it a
song (not that there's anything wrong with that), Nauseahtake have an
almost proggy take on long form songs, with the album's three songs
all taking on multiple parts with different moods and influences.
Listening to songs as long as these can often feel like an
undertaking you don't want to commit to too often. However, the
variety shown on these three songs means that the album is actually
reasonably accessible and enjoyable from the very first listen,
though it's certainly the sort of album that you'll want to play a
few times to get the full effect.
This album is enjoyable all the way
through and generally a well-executed and original take on heavy
music that blends together a lot of different influences into a
surprisingly coherent whole. Definitely recommended for anyone
interested in original music that really rocks out.
~ Martin
For Fans Of; Amon Duul II, Hawkwind,
Nik Turner, Salem Mass, Wicked Lady
~
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