2023-05-01 07:00:56
(c) Malene Økland
Only a few bands are currently as busy in the psych and fuzz area as With this. The Norwegian trio regularly knocks out almost endless trips and sound journeys of a purely instrumental nature, enriched with powerful stoner riffs and decent space excursions. Some of the ideas for their latest streak came up while they were recording their predecessor, Earthbound, and were later refined. „Downpour“ comes out of himself more than ever and also indulges in heaviness.
At just under four and a half minutes, the opener “Black Time Fuzz” is something like the radio track on this record, while also living up to its name. The ominous prelude lasts only a few seconds and immediately makes room for a powerful, dynamic playing field, increasingly shot up by fuzz and distortion. Angry drum rolls, pulsating bass lines and guitars tuned to the shallows cross stoner jams with free jazz. The fact that the subsequent “Amazon” with the Norwegian fusion jazz musician Hedvig Mollestad goes completely nuts and at the same time scores with subtle desert vibes fits into the picture and is still surprising. If following four minutes all the instrumentalists collide, everything is vain and broken.
At the other end of the album is the two-parter “Solaris”, which takes fifteen minutes to complete and has plenty of room for the gentle things in life. For long stretches, Kanaan slow down the tempo a bit and instead use the narrative qualities of the guitars. Especially the lead actually takes matters into their own hands, takes them into all sorts of nooks and crannies, lets themselves be carried along. The very long Psych-Space digression at the beginning of the second part strives for minimalist footsteps and tension building. Something is audibly in the bush here, nervousness is spreading. And then, at the climax, a pressure wave seizes the action and takes you back to the beginning with sheer force.
In an endless loop, the jack of all trades rides through night and wind, looking for the expression of complete madness. “Downpour” is very close to this, at least for spacy fuzz realms. No unique word crosses the lips of Norwegians, but they don’t have to either. Kanaan irritate the absolute maximum in terms of heaviness and distortion, overwind completely and yet drive in with impressive power. This fascinating ride into hell is also in place.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 05/05/2023
Available via: Jansen Records (membrane)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kanaanband
Category: Magazin, Reviews
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#Canaan #Downpour
