HEAVY FEATHER "Débris & Rubble"

Band: Heavy Feather

Title: Débris & Rubble

Label: The Sign Records

Release date: April 5, 2019

Country: Sweden

Format reviewed: high-rate mp3 promo

In case you didn’t notice … there is a massive wave of retro rock coming out of Sweden in the most recent years! Massive. Heavy rock, progressive rock, acid rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, blues rock … even proto heavy-metal. As most recently, we, the fans and music enthusiasts were spoiled with illustrious releases such as: Hällas “Excerpts from a Future Past” (2017), Night “Raft of the World” (2017), Hypnos “Set Fire to the Sky” (2018), Wheel In The Sky “Beyond the Pale” (2018), Iron Lamb “Blue Haze” (2018), or even Graveyard “Peace” (2018). (Props to The Sign Records for releasing a large number of these titles, and more.) A wave expanding well outside Sweden: DeWolff (Netherlands) “Thrust” (2018), Heat (Germany) “Night Trouble” (2017), Dead City Ruins (Australia) “Never Say Die Black” (2018), or Freedom Hawk (USA) “Beast Remains” (2018), amongst many, many other offerings. With many of the above mentioned bands already having solid catalogs, some going back a decade, if not more. Needless to mention is the tremendous amount of releases, from all over the world, tinged by stoner or even vintage doom metal, that also re-surfaced in the recent years. The vintage side of rock and metal is very well represented. I’d say better than ever. Flanked by the vinyl revival, the timing is spot on! You dig?

HEAVY FEATHER, a new band to the retro rock scene, hails from Stockholm, the beautiful capital city of Sweden. A new band formed by four very talented musicians, with a vast span of experience between them, who got together to create something new and unique. They played with bands and artists such as Siena Root, Lisa Lystam Family Band, Diamond Dogs, Stacie Collins and Mårran. The four members of Heavy Feather are: Lisa Lystam - vocals, harmonica, Matte Gustavsson - guitar, vocals, Morgan Korsmoe - bass, and Ola Göransson - drums. And they are about to release their full-length debut album, “Débris & Rubble”, on April 5th 2019, via The Sign Records. Even with it’s music deeply rooted in the rock scene of the late 60s and early 70s, the band’s debut effort is wholesomely organic sounding and noteworthy. Not one bit dated or unoriginal. First and foremost, “Débris & Rubble” is an eclectic mix of straight to the point southern rock with the dynamism and mastery of a vintage power trio, such as Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, or Beck, Bogert & Appice. Yet, this very well produced, recorded and mastered album packs even more, as far as composition, vibe and sound, goes. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find out further details regarding the album’s recording process, but my general impression is that a lot of vintage electronic equipment and instruments were used during the process, due to the warm and velvety sound, as one would clearly expect to hear from a retro rock album as this one. All instruments are well present in the final mix, and very skillfully handled by the musicians behind them. The airy production allows all the sonic texture to glow: from the sophisticated, laidback jazzy inflections to the raw, passionate garage band like attitude and jam rock affinities. A Woodstock transcendental experience, “Débris & Rubble” feels like that beloved vintage record that you love to hear at any time, without getting bored with it. A record that keeps showing up on your turntable’s platter. A record that you would keep going back to for it’s overall quality and vibe that always sets the mood right. A record that begs to be played more than once even in one session.

Perfectly complimenting the masterful, clean instrumental performances on the album, I must mention the very cool female vocals, provided by Lisa’s nice range, and her composed, effortless, and at times sultry delivery. I guess, “sexy” could be added to the overall vibe of the album.

To sum things up, what we have here is … Jefferson Airplane, with its bluesy and emotional motifs, Lynyrd Skynyrd, with its sincerity and storytelling fluidity, and Aerosmith, with its sexiness and wit, all cleverly laid out, in raw, yet intricate details and above all, vibrantly authentic! A R2D4. Highly recommended to all music lovers! 9/10.