HolyRoller – Swimming Witches
Release Date: 8th July 2021
Label: Black Doomba Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Stoner Rock
FFO: Monster Magnet, Red Fang, Orange Goblin.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
The first half of 2022 has been, to put it lightly, a bit of a shit show. Every day there is something else to add stress on people’s already heaping plates. Sometimes we might need a break from the mess and want to listen to something that is not out of the deepest and darkest pit of despair. Perhaps we just want something we can jam to and it can even be a bit…fun. HolyRoller are here to help us escape reality. Formed in 2019, HolyRoller released an EP in 2020 and are back with their first full-length release Swimming Witches. This work is packed with references of otherworldly phenomenon, mind-altering substances, and the traditional themes that stoner rock fans have come to love and appreciate. Massive riffs and grooves will make you rock, rejoice, and praise the lord.
The album opens with a real banger titled Atheist Prayer. The groovin’ and hooky riffs pull the listener in, and snarly vocals generally round out the sound well. It is so damn catchy, and I had my foot stompin’ along to the beat. The low end on the track is aces. Stumbling Towards Death is something I could imagine hearing blasting from someone’s muscle car during the summer months. This radio-friendly tune has a hooky chorus and nice harmony on vocals. Earthdweller offers up a hint of screaming in the background, which adds a nice layer and sets it apart from other tracks. Last Embrace is your typical stoner rock slow burn jam; some of the lyrical delivery is a bit reminiscent of Clutch’s Neil Fallon. Mr. Fallon can do no wrong in my eyes, so I personally don’t know what to make of it when people go for his vibe, but on the other hand I think it is also a bit of a ballsy move to mimic that sound. The Deuce boasts a nice main riff that just sounds fun as hell to play. Really, throughout this album, it seems like the band is having the time of their life. With Time chugs along, the tracks until powering up a bit on the chorus only to fall a bit flat. Bloodhound has some nice guitar flourishes during the chorus, but the main riff is a bit stagnant. Swimming Witches has some nice percussion, but it just seems to follow the same formula as the rest of the album. There is some level of repetition that is present, but I will say that at least this band has an understanding of what sound they want, and they are cohesive in that regard. I think that they could have done a bit more in terms of showcasing more of their guitar skills. Clearly they can solo and add some nice harmonic elements, so a bit more of that would have gone a long way in breaking up some of the monotony on this album.
In summary-if someone is looking for a stoner rock album that has a bit more of a mainstream vibe, then this is for you. But if you are looking for some experimentation with sound or something new in the genre, you won’t find it here. As I said earlier, though, sometimes we might just need to listen to something that is a bit more light-hearted in some regards and, if that is the case for you, this may well fit the bill.
(3 / 5)
