Tidal Wave - The Lord Knows

Wo Tidal Wave open, no more grass grows. The Swedish quartet understands dense riffs and tasty desert atmosphere. In their founding year 2019 they released their first crisp album “Blueberry Muffin”, now the mix of stoner and fuzz is being continued. „The Lord Knows“ turns all controls with growing enthusiasm and steers straight for the desert Olympus.

The thick “Robbero Bobbero” sums up the likeable madness of the Northern Lights. Crunchy riffing, frontal attacks and biting, intense vocals come together, squint a bit into metallic realms and score at the right moment with oppressive, downright grueling heaviness. Smaller instrumental interludes give the track something unreal. The comparatively fart-dry “Lizard King” opens the record with gruff emphasis. At first glance, very little is happening, behind which oversized walls are being erected.

What Tidal Wave also do well are the overly long tracks. “Marijuana Trench” sounds pretty much what the title suggests, seems worn out, slightly psychedelic and very fuzzy. Here the Swedes play skilfully with changing tempos and different moods, constantly escalating on a small scale and putting pressure on for a fee. In “By Order Of The King” it takes on almost doomy characteristics. The riff violence unfolds manic qualities. On the other hand, “End Of The Line” goes straight to the front, docks briefly with Motorjesus and audibly enjoys the frontal presentation.

No big surprise, but the best entertainment: Tidal Wave may not set fresh accents, but they don’t have to. The Swedes write strong riffs and cleverly think the supposed formula F further. “The Lord Knows” is not a puristic stoner record, but plays with fuzz, doom and even subtle prog elements, rocks heavy and strives for complex standards. Sometimes it can be so simple – a rock record that spreads the best mood from start to finish.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: 01/20/2023
Available from: Ripple Music (Bertus)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TidalWaveSWE