When I hear a name like “Elephant Riders”, I immediately think of a certain Baltimore outfit who sings about shoguns named “Marcus” and burning beards so If you’re going to come out of the gates as a band with a moniker like that then you better bring the rawk. Luckily for this review, and for new listeners, Malaga’s Elephant Riders definitely do just that.
Coming off as seasoned vets on their 2014 debut, Supernova, Elephant Riders recently added drummer Dimitris Aggelidis to their ranks and have reissued the album with a 2-song maxi single entitled Challenger featuring the new drummer and bringing the song count to twelve unparalleled tracks of pure rock fury .
“Dressed In Black” which opens this magnum opus is a rallying cry filled with riffs and José Carlos González’ infectious wail. “Escape From Planet Earth” is a song title that easily could’ve been used by Clutch but rocks so much harder (Gasp!). “Animal Eyes” eases up on the tempo but focuses on Gonzalez’ stellar screams which, at times, resembles Chris Cornell at his most visceral as bassist Ignacio Córdoba brings the groove during an unforgettable break later on in the track. Delving further in, “Supernova” rumbles and shows off Gonzalez’ pipes even more as he goes for some sustained intensity, “Unbreakable” displays some kick ass songwriting skill with a conclusion that’s filled with mysticism and bonecrushing riffage while closer “End of the Road” builds into a whirlwind of guitar solos, beats, and a throbbing low end.
The new tracks here, “Challenger” and “Lone Wolf”, settle into a nice little blues-infused hard rock world (Think “Supernova” and COC’s Wiseblood) and give fans a taste of what’s to come moving forward with Aggelidis.
Supernova/Challenger is out now through Paralysis Records. Get yours here.