Black Label Society meets Sabbath meets Kyuss in the riff department with a song structure that’s anything but predictable and a vocalist that brings the Soul to some heavenly pipes is Komatsu in a nutshell. On Rose Of Jericho, their fourth full-length, the Dutch outfit curate a collection of nine instant Desert Rawk classics that’ll leave a lasting impression long after the record is over.
“Star Into The Dawn” is a riff monger to start with Mathijs Bodt bringing a sound that’s like Woody Weatherman and Zakk Wylde’s riffage turned to 11 before closing the track out with one rip roarin’ solo and letting listeners know that they’re in for one interesting but heavy AF journey.
“Solitary Cage” is a bit of an enigma, starting off as a Doom-laden anthem then hitting the ground running thanks in part to Jos Roosen’s drumming which is subdued and static one moment, staccato and stinging the next with Mo Truijens’ soulful wailing in both the vocal and guitar departments (Along with Bodt here) captivating all.
“Blood Moon” has a down home feel as if you were traversing the swamps of Louisiana as it settles into a groove conjuring a little Corrosion Of Conformity at their gnarliest and then “Son Of Sam” stalks along like the song’s namesake implies with Truijens’ delivery sounding downright haunting at times.
The title track is a monstrous instrumental, threatening to spiral out of control at any minute due to the tornado of riffs being hurled at listeners but luckily stays on the tracks due to the musicianship within while “Blackbird” is a bass-centric mid-tempo stomp and “Call Of The Wolves” is wholly mesmerizing, tempered by a steady Groove and Truijens’ steady cadence.
“Om” dispatches the hefty heaviness on a big, bad closing track that grinds as much as it grows, cutting away briefly to a serene soundscape that’s still racked with anxiety before Mansvelders’ bass ramps up the rpm’s and the decibels to lead listeners to a crashing, chaotic conclusion.
Rose Of Jericho arrives on February 5th through Heavy Psych Sounds Pre-orders are live now and can be checked out by heading here or here. For the latest on Komatsu, follow the trail of socials by clicking here, here, or here.