DeWolff - Thrust

(This review first appeared in issue #79 of Shindig! magazine.)

Mascot CD / LP

Though only in their mid-twenties, Utrecht-based trio DeWolff have ten years of hard touring and five studio albums under their belt. Thrust, their sixth, keeps them firmly in the vintage rock camp but comes flecked with inspired touches and a growing confidence and lyrical maturity. Whether taking barbed swipes at Geert Wilders ('Big Talk') or Donald Trump ('Deceit & Woo'), DeWolff are as adept at moving feet as they are minds, with Thrust drawing as much from the southern soul of Otis and co. as it does the southern rock of The Allman Brothers.

'Once In a Blue Moon' is a gospel-like ballad, complete with heavens-reaching organ and guitar solos, 'Sometimes' echoes The Black Keys' sparse brooding blues, whereas 'Tombstone Child' is a heavy-hitting funk-rock monster. Thrust is proof that there's still much to explore and enjoy using rock's primary colours. Fellow Utrechtian Dick Bruna would be proud.

Snowchild - Age Of Change

(This review first appeared in issue #76 of Shindig! magazine.)

Kozmic Artifactz CD / LP 

This Wichita-based power trio know certain boxes need ticking for successful doom/stoner/sludge rock – long songs, ominous riffs and sheer heaviness for starters. What happens beyond that determines whether you rise above the competition. Snowchild needn't worry - subtle tempo changes, intuitive ensemble playing and dynamics ensure that Age Of Change never gets boring. And despite the old-school rock leanings, the subject matter makes for an album as contemporary as they come.

Anyone upset because Black Sabbath have knocked it on the head can find solace and cause for celebration here as bassist/vocalist Larry Donaldson is a graduate from the Ozzy School of Vocal Phrasing. There are other influences – the intro of 'Born in Flames' owes as much to Isaac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul as it does to Master Of Reality, and 'Boudica' expands their palette with sitar-like guitar, eastern scales and a space rock vibe. Dark, heavy and soulful.