Kamchatka Long Road Made Of Gold
Sweden’s Kamchatka is a Blues based Hard Rock band that formed in the early 2000s by guitarist/vocalist Thomas (Junear) Andersson, Tobias Strandvik (drums), and Roger Öjersson (bass/vocals) in the small town of Varberg. Their name is derived from a sparsely populated volcanic region in northern Russia which serves as a proper geographical metaphor to describe their earthy musical style. The current lineup sees Andersson taking over all vocal duties while former Opeth member Per Wiberg steps in on bass and keyboards. With Wiberg having made guest appearances on previous Kamchataka albums, the band found it fitting to add him to the lineup following the departure of Tiamat’s Roger Öjersson prior to 2014′s The Search Goes On album. Wasting no time, Kamchatka returns in 2015 with a new album titled Long Road Made of Gold via Despotz Records on June the 8th in the UK with the album mixed and mastered by Russ Russell (best known for his work with Napalm Death and Dimmu Borgir).
Long Road Made Of Gold is the band's 6th album and another one in 2015 that has made realise their is so much class music out there if only it all could be heard!
Big guitar riffs,pounding drums and throbbing bass and plenty of raw vocal melodies with a feel of a live jam session doesn't do it justice as all 10 tracks have such power that if you put ZZ Top,Bad Company,Cream,Led Zeppelin and add a touch of Lynyrd Skynyrd into a blender you might come close.
A picked banjo workout starts the album on Take Me Back Home before a band workout with big held guitar chords and a booming bass line with plenty of time changes.The banjo continues throughout the song with an understated chorus before a very bluesy guitar solo from Andersson and some awesome drumming from Strandvik underpin it all.
Get Your Game On has another great drum rhythm from Strandvik with a stop start fuzzy guitar riff and a very melodic chorus.The second verse sees a more chugging stop start riff with a real live feel to it and a wah wah infused guitar solo all held together by bobbing bass and that non stop drum track.Classic hard rock with melody and balls.
Made Of Gold takes it down a subtle notch with a rolling guitar riff which could be a ZZ Top cousin and the rhythm team again impress with their near telepathic time changes and groove.
Human Dynamo is a hard rock master class that builds to the chorus with a new guitar melody backing the chorus.Some Hammond organ is added to the mix and mid song it explodes with the guitar solo backed by yet more dynamic drumming from Strandvik and the bass work of Ojersson again top quality.Russell's mix is top draw and you get the opportunity to hear all instruments in their own space but all brought together.
Rain is the song's near ballad well slower song.A slow held guitar chord is at it's heart and a very melodic chorus has an extra guitar melody entwined to it.The bluesy guitar solo has so much power and poise and the wonderful mix has the bass line playing alongside it!!
Who's To Blame has a big stop start guitar riff before a new riff takes it in a pounding psychedelic mid pace stoner rock direction.The lengthy wah wah infused guitar solo takes the song above the norm.
Mirror has an in and out guitar riff that really kicks on both musically and vocally pre chorus then back to the main addictive riff.
Slowly Drifting Away is another with a psychedelic feel with a lumbering big guitar riff and pounding bass under laying it.I personally think the bass is an instrument that gets buried too deep in the mix but no such thought here as there are plenty of opportunities to hear Ojerrson's quality work.I hear a touch of Aussie rock band Tracer on the chorus and that is no bad thing.
Long Road has a folky twang to it's picked electric slide guitar riff on the first verse that then changes to a more held power chord on it's second.A feel of on the road Americana with the guitar solo a slide guitar workout.
To You ups the pace to close the album with more chord and drum rhythm changes and probably the biggest chorus saved for last.A slight change to the norm sees the band on a workout with extra guitar melodies added for good measure in the outro.
Anyone with a thing for late 60's and 70's influenced heavy blues rock played with soul,groove and attitude then this is for you.
