boWsER

What is the legacy of rock n roll in the 21st century? In the 60s, it was The Beatles and the Stones. In the 70s, it was Zeppelin and Sabbath. Now that rock has fractured into endless sub-genres, who has been fighting the good fight to rock on in these bleak musical times. Arguably, the mantle has been mostly honourably taken up by the likes of the Foo Fighters and their more sinister cousin, Queens of the Stone Age. Both emerged from successful 90s groups of grunge and stoner riff-rock fame and both hold headbangin' rock n roll as the holy grail. It's no surprise now that we are seeing the appearance of their progeny on the scene just as disciples of the old gods have appeared throughout the decades.

Aussie rockers boWsER are the next step in the lineage from the Foos and the Queens. Their highway rippin' brand of tweaked-out riff-rock harnesses the guitar heft of the 70s originators and runs it through the influence of Taylor Hawkins snappy driving beats and Josh Homme's disjointed guitar licks to create a juggernaut of rock n roll for the new decade. Their new record Whispers from the Wicker Man' is a tightly crafted, well-orchestrated piece without feeling like it. The catchy parts and hard turn changes are carried off smoothly, with ease.

A chiming eastern melody kicks off 'Renegade' to get us out of the gates. Punchy funk drums are playfully played around by the guitar/bass hydra. Singer Brad Weynton's chorus vocals hit the megaphone effect like Scott Weiland would with his heavier Stone Temple Pilots rockers. The steady pickin' groove of 'Caught The Raisin' also harkens back to STP's hooky 'grunge with a boa' aesthetic. 'People in the TV's stomping groove finds Homme friendly territory. The mid-drenched single-note guitar lines and airy “wooo”s would find themselves very much at home on a QOTSA record or Homme's supergroup side-project Them Crooked Vultures. Otto Mitter's moving bass line on 'Chemicals' would make Flea proud.

The title track Wicker Man takes the influence back a few decades to give us a more laser-focused iteration of Zeppelin's groove monster 'Wanton Song'. Weynton's rhythmic riff ditches the octaves to create a monotonic freight train accented by Nathan Williams commanding snare filling up the empty space with a mighty pop. The chorus vocals fully channel Josh Homme again with his phrasing, tone, and melodics. 'All About the Money' hits a late album high note driving the tail end just as hard as the front, playing fast and loose with momentum.

Whispers from the Wicker Man packs in 11 high-octane riff-rock blitzes into a tight 36-minute record. No fluff, no wanking, no long ego-trips. Just solid four-on-the-floor rock n roll. The band proudly wears their influences on their sleeve, embracing their ilk as disciples of The Beatles and Stones once did. A record for anyone who digs that sweet Homme, DeLeo, Grohl, Thayil thing.