Band : Skraeckoedlan
Album title : Äppelträdet
Label : Transubstans
Distributor : Clearspot
Release date : 2011
Review : CD

Out of Sweden comes another fuzzy rock band, drawing on influences from acts such as Baroness, The Sword, Truckfighters, Kyuss, Weezer and Dozer, Skraeckoedlan’s (dinosaur) first album, Äppelträdet (the apple tree) offers some quite fine melodies and refrains (ex “Chronos” and “Fågelsång” that stick to your brain. The band is fairly skilled, but nothing really provides the jaw-hits-floor effect, if you know what I mean. Nothing is really overly amazing. The guitar work is pretty solid, melodic at times, but mostly just playing the rhythm, and I miss a bit more soloing. Singer, Tim Ångström is nothing out of the ordinary, he can sing, yes, but again, nothing about his performance really stands out as mindblowing. After opening with a fast and suitably heavy tune the album soon settles in a fitting midtempo groove and lets the fuzzy atmosphere unfold.

Äppelträdet is a solidly played record, but Skraeckoedlan rely too heavily on safe and well known structures, which results ultimately in quite an unspectacular outcome. I am certain that Skraeckoedlan (copy and paste?)have more potential, they only need to be more courageous the next time.

78/100

Cosmicmasseur.