Review: Weedpecker - II

Pink Tank Records certainly seem to be cornering the market in fuzz-driven psychedelic stoner grooves at the moment - on the back of Libido Fuzz and Bone Man now comes Weedpecker's second long player, 'II'. Working out of Warsaw, Weedpecker made their name with their crunching self-titled debut in 2013, which garnered much well deserved praise for it's heavy but laid back stoner rock. With 'II' the band seem to have put more emphasis on the more fuzzy, psychedelic aspect of their music and the result is a very fine piece of work!

'Reality Fades' starts proceedings with a softly, softly intro with just vague hints of fuzz before the vocals begin (the vocals were a definite high point of 'Weedpecker' and will prove to be so on 'II'). The track builds and builds with the addition of some spacey guitar, heavy on the psychedelic, until the almost inevitable wall of noise ensues. 'Flowering Dimensions' follows the same pattern but with maybe a touch of prog thrown in - a slow start building up to some heavy riffs that shake the speakers. The third track, 'Fat Karma' is a monster! Huge riffs, plenty of feedback and distortion, and loads of fuzz. As huge as the riffs may be, there is real technique in the guitar and, yet gain, the vocals are an essential part of the mix, albeit distorted and treated. 'Nothingness' turns proceedings on its head - a reflective and mournful track, still chocka with some crunching riffs, but it shows the band in a different light - a seriousness that is maybe not always expected from stoner bands. 'Into The Woods' is pure psych...a hazy instrumental, heavy on the atmospherics and texture, for me the best track on the album . 'The Vibe' is another track that has seen a few strokes of the prog brush. 'Already Gone' sees the band adopt a more post rock stance which leads to an almost jazzy conclusion.

I've said many times on this blog that the one thing I really admire are bands that don't work within strict genre parameters; the artists who do their own thing with no thought to labels etc. Although I have myself referred to Weedpecker as being 'stoner' and 'psychedelic', they are more than labels. They have produced an album that crosses boundaries; an album that sees them play to their strengths. Yes, there are some huge 'stoner' riffs, some of which border on 'sludge'. Yes there is some hazy, trippy 'psychedelic' passages. Yes, there is some intricate 'Post Rock' structures. But these all mean nothing: what is important is that Weedpecker have produced an album that is absorbing, intelligent and beautifully executed.

'II' is available as a download from Weedpecker's Bandcamp page, and the vinyl is available as a pre-order from Pink Tank with the release date being 15th September.