Dune Pilot - Magnetic

2023-12-29 08:00:21

Friends of earthy desert riffs had to show some patience recently, because the last album by Dune Pilot was released in 2018. The quartet from Munich is clearly into bands like Kyuss and Fu Manchu, accompanied by a magnificent voice and monstrous sound. They are now leaving their art break behind them and are embarking on a kind of mini-restart, which is primarily intended to bring them back onto the festival and club stages. They have their new long player with them „Magnetic“.

The oppressive title song lurks at the beginning and quickly makes it clear that Dune Pilot have not forgotten anything. Andris Friedrich’s character voice sounds a bit rougher and more intense, Christian Schmidt is churning out riffs non-stop, while the new rhythm section around Veit Schlembach and Konsti Fischer is building a more than healthy foundation for the action – pressing, rousing and at the same time focused on the essentials concentrated. The increased hard rock focus in the following “Visions” collides with palatable verses. Loud-quiet dynamics are cleverly played with and a bit of thoughtfulness is mixed into the action.

But that’s – in the truest sense of the word – just the beginning, because Dune Pilot are now really playing themselves into a frenzy. “Pied Piper” initially comes off as quite funky, before a welcome heaviness sets in and an anthemic chorus meets an extended solo part with minimal transistor impact. In “So Mad” the strength of the Munich band comes through in the long format, because the sustained tempo and cleverly extended arrangement also offer high entertainment value. An almost meditative heaviness takes over as the quartet flexes its muscles and at times even approaches the intensity of Audioslave without completely leaving the desert behind.

Riff-heavy primal power, tasty bangers and fart-dry desert monstrosities come together here. Dune Pilot are consolidating at a high level and have clearly used the long break and the fresh wind in personnel to position themselves even stronger and more focused. “Magnetic” is an essential desert rock album that would have worked wonderfully even a few decades ago, but at the same time bears the Munich band’s very own signature in a pleasant way. Dune Pilot have now finally arrived.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: December 1st, 2023
Available via: Argonauta Records

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DUNEPILOT