Banshee – Livin' In The Jungle
Feeding Tube/Cardinal Fuzz Records – 2020
Stoner, Garage, Heavy Psych
Rated: ****
Bostonian outfit Banshee summon up the spirits of Detroit with their intriguing and beguiling album Livin' In The Jungle, 11 tracks of no-nonsense Heavy Garage Psych that immediately brings the glory days of Alice, Iggy and MC5 to your eardrums. Following the birdsong chorus of opener 'Genesis', 'The Law' kicks in with a fervent abandon of booming bass and wild guitar thrusts over a thudding, heavy percussive rhythm. The vocals instantly recall AC, a snarling and sleazing conductor for the sounds. 'Dawn of Man' slows the pace to a hook-jammed Glam vibe drizzled with an Eastern-styled guitar motif, a groovy, head-nodding stomper. Title track 'Livin' In The Jungle' is pure Stooges: Low, slow and deadly riffage pulsating with vintage sweat and swagger. The Stooges/Alice vibe continues with 'Savage Man', a fist-pumping, frothing slowburn of shuddering bass and aerial guitar swirls. The weird, trip-out xylophone/Sitar interlude of 'Credo' bleeds into 'Snake Charmer': more heavy bass propelling a strident riff, spiced with oriental flavoured organ shrills and more greasy, lascivious vocals. "The Inner Circle' begins with vocal chants and acoustic strums which flows and ebbs through a sea of high-pitched guitar wails and strange synthesized noise, gradually increasing in pace to a frenzied guitar wig-out at the finale. Another interlude, 'Summoning' is awash with odd echoes and ambient arrhythmia before ushering in 'The Atomic Flu'...once again hitting that AC/Blue Cheer/MC5 groove and running with groovy rhythm and the recurring Sitar-style overlays. Closer 'Caged Birds' is a pungent, fuzz-infused Heavy Blues crusher, the vocals again reminiscent of the Ribbed One- dirty, raw and half-crazed. Banshee weave solid threads of the Detroit Heavy sound with Eastern spices and an inimitable style all their own. One for the acid freaks!
(Written by Reek of STOOM)
