For their second album for Nuclear Blast, German power trio Kadavar have brought on board new bassist Simon "Dragon" Bouteloup to join up with guitarist/vocalist Lupus Lindemann and drummer Tiger, and it just might be their best effort yet. Berlin contains 11 new songs that continue to float in the bluesy psychedelic hard rock waters (it's unkind to simply label Kadavar as a stoner rock group at this point) that the band are known for, but these new tunes have a catchy nature, and coupled with the '70s styled production values and Lindemann's ever expanding vocal prowess, it makes for a great listen.
Thick, memorable riffs drive catchy, hard rocking anthems like "Thousand Miles Away From Home", "Lord of the Sky", and "Last Living Dinosaur", each one dripping with just enough fuzz and classic ambience but at the same time they are quite modern sounding. "Filthy Illusion" is a fun, upbeat party rocker that wouldn't have sounded out of place on an early KISS album, while the wild wah-wah guitar freakouts of "Pale Blue Eyes" let you know that at their core, this band is ultimately all about psychedelia. Images of vintage Black Sabbath or Monster Magnet permeate the lumbering "Stolen Dreams", and "The Old Man" has a vibe not unlike those first few Scorpions albums, thanks to some sizzling lead guitar work and crushing riffs. Berlin is not all bruising riff mashers however, as the band dive into atmospheric, moody soundscapes on the blues/psych number "Spanish Wild Rose", catchy & quirky pop rock on "See The World With Your Own Eyes", and Led Zeppelin inspired hard blues rave-ups on "Into the Night". The haunting cover of Nico's "Reich der Träume" is smothered in vintage keyboards, and provides the albums most prog/psych moments.
Though Kadavar wear their Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Scorpions, Deep Purple, Free, and Led Zeppelin influences on their sleeve, they've steadily begun to create their signature sound, and it's fully realized on this, their third release. Berlin is a fun, hard rocking blast of fresh air, filled with memorable yet heavy songs and killer guitar work. Rival Sons might be getting all the praise as THE retro styled band going today, but I think Kadavar might have a little something to say about that.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
01. Lord Of The Sky
02. Last Living Dinosaur
03. Thousand Miles Away From Home
04. Filthy Illusion
05. Pale Blue Eyes
06. Stolen Dreams
07. The Old Man
08. Spanish Wild Rose
09. See The World With Your Own Eyes
10. Circles In My Mind
11. Into The Night
BONUS TRACK
12. Reich der Träume (Nico cover)
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