Have you ever had some new slab of music you put on and the instrumental load out is super stellar, really resonating over a slow build and just hits all the right notes both figuratively and literally only to have the vocals completely destroy the mood when they eventually kick in? No? Well, it happens to us more often than not (But for your comfort, you don’t often read about that shite in these pages) so when the title track from Norway’s Kal-El really began to suck us in we were praying to all the Rawk Gods that this would pan out for us. Especially when the press release for the 2-song EP was compared to both Dozer and Kyuss among others.
Since you’re reading about it here, we don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Kal-El deliver with these two new tracks. And then some. And then some more. “Moon People” definitely leans into that old school Kyuss fuzz to start and is easily reminiscent of Sky Valley in particular with the tones that Kristoffer “Doffy” Ranaweera and Azul Joshua “Josh” Bisama tantalize the earholes with here over the opening minute and a half of this seven and a half minute epic. Add in bassist Knudsen and drummer Bjørn “Bjudas” Stornes’ rhythmic barrage which underlines Ståle “Captain” Rodvelt’s soaring vocals and you have the most inviting Desert Rawk jam of 2023.
And “Universe” might be even better? It’s true! Sort of. Howzabout equally epic then? With another lengthy intro from Bjudas, Doffy, Josh, and Knudsen before roaring to life for a ferocious rumble that throttles the senses even more so when Captain chimes in with another spectacular soar in the vocal department, “Universe” elevates the whole EP in one single bound.
Moon People descends on September 22nd through Majestic Mountain Records. Find out when you can get your hands on a copy by heading here or here and for the latest from Kal-El, follow them across the information superhighway by clicking here, here, or here.