From Tillburg/Utrecht in the Netherlands comes stoner/doom act Yama, and the Seaquake EP is their first release on Mind Flare Media. What you get here are songs previously released but repackaged with new artwork, just in time for release on their new label. After digging into these three wild '70s influenced behemoth rockers, I think it's easy to say that Yama have a lot to offer the genre. Dripping with psychedelia and bluesy hard rock muscle, Yama bring to mind Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Pentagram, Saint Vitues, Budgie, and Sir Lord Baltimore, thanks to a boatload of slow, crushing guitar riffs, haunting reverb drenched vocals, and plodding rhythms. "Hollow" is a grueling, doom infested barnburner, while the title track ups the ante with even heavier riffs, whiskey soaked harmonica, gravelly vocals, and galloping drum work. Love the way this one changes pace towards the end and slows to a monstrous crawl, like a wild mix of early Sabbath, The Doors, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Closer "Synergy" plods along in fine Saint Vitus fashion, a fine example of melancholic doom/sludge complete with some sizzling fuzz toned blues rock solos that wouldn't have sounded out of place on an old Humble Pie record.
A few spins through this EP and I can already see that Yama are going to make a dent in the crowded sludge/doom genre if they keep cranking out material like this. More please!
Track Listing
1) Hollow
2) Seaquake
3) Synergy
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