with “Reaper Season”
~By Matheus Jacques~
Album Art by Spectral Ecstasy
Over the last few days, as I have been searching for new music worth listening to, maybe even writing about, JOINTHUGGER and their recent one-shot ‘Reaper Season’ (2021) came to my knowledge. As I let it play, I found myself in that funny and hopeful position of thinking to myself, “Why not?” Embracing the full promise of this journey into ethereal plains, I decided to join the ride.
Hailing from Norway, a country with so many rad stoner-doom bands, Jointhugger present a captivating mix of heavy blues, psychedelic rock, and lysergic doom. The result is a very pleasurable experience for the ears. Here we have a band that’s doing a good job of crafting something very personal, sincere, and moving, reminding me at times of Stoned Jesus, Mars Red Sky, and even their “brothers in the land” Lonely Kamel.
“Reaper Season” is a very unique piece, almost twenty minutes long with serious musical ideas and heavy sonic emanations that come together coherently and efficiently. The production is fine, going raw enough to sound delightfully heavy, but smooth enough to sound nice and clear. The dynamics work reasonably well, rarely falling in tedium. While not a ground shaking reinvention of the genre, Jointhugger nevertheless emerges with a dense, captivating mix of stoner and psychedelic doom vibes – alive with electric feelings, a deep sense of honesty, and enduring passion.
In conclusion, “Reaper Season” is a welcome step along a promising pathway for the Scandinavian band. Jointhugger’s efforts reveal many workable ideas and good instincts, and we can only hope a full-length album is not far away. This mindbender was good enough for me to give multiple listens and spend my time writing about, in the anticipation that someone reading this might decide to check this cool group out. Don’t waste anymore time, then. Make the right choice: visit Majestic Mountain Records and add Reaper Season to your collection of musical memories.
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Published at Tue, 25 May 2021 07:10:44 +0000