Review: Camel Driver / Moewn - Rites Of Passage / Aestus

As any inveterate record buyer will say...there comes a time when you've listened and listened online to an album and just when you've decided it's a damn fine piece of work, the vinyl has sold out. This happened to me with the Camel Driver S/T debut album (on Pink Tank) .....it took a while to get into but it was worth it - fuzzy stoner rock with a creative, experimental edge, and so when I went to order it was sold out (and I especially wanted the limited ed. with a fab t-shirt!). Anyway, the good news is that Pink Tank Records, ever the bastion of quality heavy products, will be releasing a new Camel Driver album and, as if that wasn't good enough, it's a split with heavy post rock leviathans MOEWN. Each band is given one side of the LP and each with its own stunning artwork - Camel Driver's is entitled 'Rites Of Passage' and MOEWN's is 'Aestrus'

'Rites Of Passage' begins with 'Separation', a ostensibly stoner rock track but with definite jazz structures found within. The guitars are nice 'n fuzzy and the riffs huge..exactly what I loved in the debut album. 'Interphase' shows why Camel Driver are a step above most 'stoner' groups - they are not afraid to experiment with structures and styles. This track has an almost proggy post rock structure and is far more complex than the huge, fuzzy riffs that would normally be associated with the genre - it rises and falls and the guitar is simply wonderful. 'Integration' is the last track on the Camel Driver side and the longest at over nine minutes. This has a more psychedelic jazz leaning with some more fantastic guitar work and really intelligent song crafting. This may only be 3 tracks in length but it is a fine showcase for what Camel Driver can do.....excellent stuff indeed. The only other band, for me, that show the same quality experimental approach to the genre is Causa Sui....and that is high praise!

I'll be honest, I sorta overlooked the MOEWN debut 'Acqua Alta' when it was released (also by Pink Tank) and I now release that this was a mistake! MOEWN are a very maritime focused band (indeed, their name means seagull in German) and their particular brand of driving, experimental post-rock has been christened 'Oceanic' rock. 'Aestrus' opens with 'Nordpol' and is a surging post-rock giant of a track....the drums crash and the guitars are loud and heavy.....put me in mind of some of the best Red Sparrowes tracks. 'Kaventsmann' opens with some tribalistic drums before waves of guitar hit, and hit hard. It has some of the standard post rock features....the quiet, loud, quiet structure, but that is where all similarities end. This has a much more emotive quality than many others in the genre, it can evoke emotions and feelings unlike so many other rock acts. 'Bordbrant' closes the MOEWN side of the LP. Starting slowly with a simple bassline and chiming guitars, it soon picks up pace and becomes another barnstormer.....rising and falling like the waves in the band's precious oceans. On this showing I will endeavour to get a copy of their debut. Top quality music.

Both sides of this split are excellent...different in approach but both showing an imaginative and intelligent approach to music making. Kudos to Pink Tank for having the nous and the courage to pair two bands in different 'genres' on a split....they obviously saw past tags and categories to realise that it's quality that ultimately counts...and this is a top quality record. It comes in a lovely salt lake marbled vinyl and is released on 15th October but a special early bird pre-order is up on the Pink Tank website here.