Wednesday 21 June 2017

Blind Mess - S/T (Album Review)


Release date: June 16th 2017. Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Blind Mess – S/T – Tracklisting

1.Ship Of Fools 04:07
2.Your Bliss 03:45
3.Black Mess 05:41
4.Capricorn 05:07
5.Crach 06:14
6.Supernova 04:25
7.Empire 04:30
8.The Monkey 04:40

Band Members:

Oskar, Martin & Daniel

Review

German Stoner Rockers - Blind Mess - debut self-titled is a confident and self-assured affair with the band influenced by the usual Desert/Stoner Rock Bands of past and present. Blind Mess deliver a more turbo-charged affair compared to other bands. The lyrics are fine for most parts of the album as the band embrace their Desert/Stoner Rock roots. There are a few rough moments where the vocals and lyrics don't necessarily gel with the top-notch music as they should.

Opening track - Ship Of Fools - is a very good track to open the album as shades of Kyuss appears but with a more punk driven sound. The vocals take a few songs to get fully used to as they're more suited to a punk rock environment.

Second track - Your Bliss - opens with a thrash based riff before the anarchic stoner riffs appear. This is another song where Blind Mess can't decide whether they want to be primarily a Stoner Rock Band or a Punk Rock band. They do try their hardest to merge both sounds but it's only the stoner rock parts that impress the most. I cannot deny that the song has an addictive and rebellious quality to it.

Third track - Black Moss - sees the band settle more into a Thrashier/Stoner kind of sound and this is where the album finally starts to improve for the better. Boisterous riffs, vocals and lyrics hold your attention throughout. Sure it still has a punk rock sound but the band are now starting to feel like a proper Stoner Rock band.

The next three songs - Capricorn, Crach and Supernova - has the usual Kyuss and Fu Manchu influences but the band start to add a more fuzzier psychedelic sound that brings back memories of Truckfighters. Even the vocals feel they were sung by Mr Ozo from that legendary band. Despite a bumpy and varied start, Blind Mess album really starts to impress from the third track and doesn't disappoint for the remainder of the album.

The second half of the album is a lot stronger than the first half as the band become more confident and even start take risks with their music. The final two tracks - Empire and Monkey - carry on the punk driven Stoner/Desert Rock riffs with the band creating an almighty loud noise with heavy guitars and confident vocals.

The album contains two bonus live tracks with Ship Of Fools and The Monkey. Truth be told I preferred the live version of Ship Of Fools compared to the version held on this album. I have a feeling that Blind Mess songs need to be truly heard and experienced on the live stage. As you cannot really capture the live environment on a studio recording.

Despite a shaky and rough start, Blind Mess debut album is a very good and thrilling album indeed.

Words by Steve Howe

Links: