Spelljammer - Abyssal Trip

 

 

Spelljammer - Abyssal Trip
Riding Easy Records - February 2021
Doom, sludge, psych
Rated: ****

Five years in the making since their previous effort "Ancient of Days", Swedish trio Spelljammer return to Earth heavier than ever with their new album Abyssal Trip. The sci-fi theme of exploring the void is broadcast through monolithic slabs of slow, sludgy doom as the three-piece lumber and crush through six dense tracks. Opener "Bellwether" announces itself with squeals of feedback as it descends into an achingly slow stomp of gnarly distortion, laying the perfect foundation off which to launch into the raging "Lake". Furious drums and cymbal work ratchet up the tempo, hammering out wave after wave of riffs over grating vocals. Some solace is given in interludes of trippy psychedelia, but the calm soon gives way to a stunning solo that feels barely controlled as it wrenches and tears at the gravelly fuzz underneath. One of their many strengths is Spelljammer's ability to use tempo as an instrument in its own right, shifting through ponderous doom and blood-pumping pummel to make each track a captivating ride without losing the colossal tone. A particular highlight is closer "Silent Rift", a lesson in nod centered around one massive riff that easily bears the tune's considerable weight. The buried treasure, however, is the second half's epic solo that becomes increasingly chaotic, devolving and threatening to violently unravel the song itself. It's no question five years was worth the wait, and Spelljammer prove themselves space-age royalty with an album of finely crafted and titanically heavy doom and sludge.

(Written by Shastabeast)

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