Released By : Small Stone Records
Genre : Soner Rock
Link : http://www.myspace.com/nightstalkermusic
Lineup:
Argy – Vocals
Andreas – Bass
Tolis – Guitars
Tracklist:
01. Go Get Some
02. Soma
03. Dead Rock Commandos
04. One Million Broken Promises
05. Children Of The Sun
06. Back To Dirt
07. Keystone
08. Rockaine
09. The BoogieMan Plan
10. The Underdog
Doom/Stoner metallers NIGHTSTALKER have been plying their trade for over fifteen years now, and while true success may have eluded them they have still been a very consistently good and well-loved band for a long time now. 2012 brings their all-new studio released entitled DEAD ROCK COMMANDOS. The Stoner genre in general has never been one that allowed for much variation and experimentation so instead of constantly trying to break down new barriers or adjusting their style to suit the trends of the time, nIGHTSTALKER have just kept at what they do best…Highly listenable, fuzzy, slow Stoner metal that recalls the mighty early days of BLACK SABBATH and also the latter day dominance of the genre by MONSTER MAGNET. In the band’s defence, there are a handful of occasions on this album where they try and incorporate a slight modern feel, giving them a little bit of a CLUTCH feel here and there too.
DEAD ROCK COMMANDOS is one of those albums that does feel a little long for it’s own good, and without many pace or tempo changes it has a habit of sort of blending into one big fuzz-fest toward the end. My personal favourite moment of the entire disk is the first two minutes or so of BACK TO DIRT… It starts with a really eerie guitar lick that sounds like something out of a horror movie soundtrack before the vocals kick in with a real gravelly, droning tone singing “Welcome back to earth Mother-Fucker, try to keep your shape.”. I can’t properly explain it here in words but it really is a great little moment that reignites the album right in the middle just when it’s needed most. ROCKAINE does a really good job of bringing out the BLACK SABBATH vibe and the opening track GO GET SOME is a perfect introduction to what you can expect for the rest of the album.
It must be infuriating trying to find a way to stick out in a genre with such little wiggle room, but NIGHTSTALKER seem to have the right idea…Just keep on doing what you do well and the more you do it the better it will be. DEAD ROCK COMMANDOS really does the feel of an album released by a long-time band that have their shit together and Stoner/Doom fans who are used to mono-tempo albums should find plenty to like here.
Written By ZeeZee
Rating : 7/10