Holy Grove - Holy Grove
by Adrian Huggins
published: 27 / 4 / 2016
Label:
Heavy Psych Sounds
Format: CD
intro
Massive sounding debut album from Portland Oregon-based stoner rock outfit, Holy Grove
This is the debut album from Portland, Oregon band Holy Grove. The band are no doubt going to turn heads, raise pulses and lower dancing speeds across the rock world in 2016 with their brand of heavy doom that lends itself as much to 70’s classic rock as it does to the current crop of Southern US sludge metal bands. Holy Grove is fronted by Andrea Vidal, and their use of a female vocalist gives the band a more refined and piercing sound rather than relying merely on riffs and barked vocals as many of their contemporaries do. There are obvious comparisons like the fellow-female-fronted Jucifer and, of course, Black Sabbath, but, however, you could attribute most bands of this style to some sort of Sabbath sound and that is never, ever a bad thing. I also get a bit of a Goatsnake vibe from Holy Grove. The band’s sound is well produced and as close to clean as heavy music can be without veering into ‘over-produced’ which is no doubt down to producer Billy Anderson who has previously worked with titans such as Sleep and Melvins. Straight from the opening riff of ‘Death Of Magic’ you are drawn into Holy Gove's psych-tinged, stoner, doom sound, which is led by Trent Jacob's guitar and Gregg Emley's bass and the pace is carried throughout. I did at times find myself wishing for a bit of a changing in tempo, but, however, this wish was recognised in the mighty ‘Hanged Man’ which starts out sounding like Black Sabbath but ends up being more ‘Stairway To Heaven,’ which is not a bad combination of bands/songs. ‘Nix’ would be my first recommendation of tunes to check out from Holy Grove but, however, you would probably not be disappointed at any of the tracks on this album if the stoner vibe is your thing.
Track Listing:-
1 Death of Magic2 Nix
3 Holy Grove
4 Huntress
5 Caravan
6 Hanged Man
7 Safe Return
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/holygrovebandhttp://holygrove.bandcamp.com/
Label Links:-
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
https://twitter.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUND
https://www.youtube.com/user/MonoStereo79
https://instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/
bandcamp
soundcloud
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
James Whild Lea - Interview
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
Johny Brown - With Hector Gannet and Andy Thompson, The Water Rats, London, 25/5/2024
Mark Vennis And A Different Place - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Banter - Heroes
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart