Van Groover – Back To The Shop

 

 

Van Groover – Back To The Shop
Self-released – 2024
Rock, Stoner, Sludge, Metal
Rated: ****

It lasted a year. The van. And after 365 days and many miles, it needs to go… Back To The Shop! It’s the age old story of every band and van owner, returned from the garage, it is only there until it needs to get fixed again. Van Groover is finalizing its tale of woe about the tour van and all the adventures they’ve been able to experience because of it. Or not. Either way, the new four track EP brings the story to a close and does so in a stoner rocking, sludge toned and overtly metal way. I’m old. I’m slowly losing my hair. On my head that is. Not on my back of course, it’s growing abundantly over there. Too many details? Sorry, but for some weird reason the opening track on the Back To The Shop EP is called Silverback immediately made me think of that. Thunderous, low riffing stoner rock that has this slicing punk, speed rock attitude to the bass and guitar work. Focused in delivery, it retains the humor the Van Groover three are known for. It will soon get a video treatment, and we are looking forward to see what the boys produced for this. Ending with a snippet from the Adam Sandler movie Billy Madison, only emphasizes the fun these guys have. Kolbenfresser follows and is much more intense, sludge tones and motoring metal. Until that leisurely and fata morgana like middle part, shimmering and feeling like those moments right before you get a heatstroke waiting for Triple A to arrive because the van broke down on the side of the highway. Luckily it gets fixed somehow; and like a many black ironed machine you truck forward towards the horizon. Potmodel shows a different side of Van Groover, still with a smile, they deliver most of the song almost like a death acoustic version of their rock. But once they burst through, they let a bluesy harmonica lead the way. Big Dog is huge in its delivery, biting in its metal edge and growling in vocals and on its low end riffs. Power driven and burning up the engine. And with that the EP comes to an end and we can go Back To The Shop. But wait… There’s a bonus track! Head Out West, where they dispel some of the humor and seems to deliver a more earnest story about driving at night, where the road below and the stars above will always make a man think about what has passed. They also turn the tempo down, even when they do open up a bit more after a slow but groovy opening. It shows a yet again different side to what Van Groover can do and shows us that once the van has been fixed, yet again, they can go into whatever direction they want…

(Written by JK)

Back To The Shop will be out September 6th.

Listen to Honk If Parts Fall Off or Back From The Shop now…



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