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SIDEBURN
Evil Or Divine

Metalville (2015)
Rating: 8/10

I’ve always had an on-off love affair with Sweden’s Sideburn, probably because they inhabit that sun-drenched stoner realm where beards act as tumbleweed and every riff evokes images of high warlords and wizards mounted on frazzled unicorns, riding off into the blazing rays of the sun.

Y’know the sort; that groove-based late 60s and early 70s psych-fuzz riff-o-rama where you feel as if you’ve heard every riff before, and the vocal yelps mumble nonsensical drug-induced fancies which are only likely to appeal to those along for the same psychedelic rodeo.

The trouble is I’m neither here nor there with this stoner drudgery – only thankful that Sideburn hasn’t created some droning nightmare. Instead, the band feature an avalanche of cool yet sizzling riffs courtesy of Morgan Zocek, and they are promptly carried out into the kaleidoscopic courtyard by chief crooner Dimitri Keiski, who has a sort of no frills tone hinting at the sassy and the sexy but offering neither in abundance.

So in other words, album number five by this bunch of sonic warlocks is a familiar charge into the realms of retro-rock where the likes of MC5 comes colliding into Dirty Americans, while Led Zeppelin may occasionally fornicate with doomier elements of, say, Candlemass without much darkness or delight. But even so, it all makes for a rather pleasant, often soulful jaunt.

Evil Or Divine offers up seven tracks, most of which are quite lengthy, and for me the best is opener ‘Masters And Slaves’ which most certainly isn’t afraid to bring the band out of the stone and place them firmly into the coffin. This is a straight up doom metal clump hinting at psychedelia in those initial vocals, although the fluff is soon cleared from the throat as the band drifts towards the usual Black Sabbath-like melancholy and drug-hazed principles. But even with the obvious nods, this is still half-decent drudgery played with a simple yet effective black riff and boasting a drum rumble from Fredrik Haake that may have some of you thinking that an earthquake has just hit home.

There are times when I just want bands to either be doom metal or stoner metal. Sure, we all hate tags and categories, but I bloody hate most of the stoner stuff, preferring the simplistic yet sullen chugs to the marijuana-laced dullness. Sideburn though, seem to be stuck in the middle of the two styles at times. But it’s always catchy and, as I say, the opener is a killer cult slice of retro gloom with those expected winks at Saint Vitus too; although the band may be reluctant to admit it.

However, when you slap on ‘Sea Of Sins’ you may find yourself in that cloudy corner where all other inhabitants, as well as instruments, are completely wasted, because although it’s another accessible, bubblegum riff I’m just not overly impressed by the stone-baked simplicity, now gradually shoving the band towards that Spiritual Beggars line of thinking.

Personally, I’ll always prefer the slightly more downbeat and cultish vibe of obscure fellow Swedes Stillborn, but if you like your music soulful, regressive and at times happy to court the doomier aspects then I’m sure you’ll like the rough ’n’ tumble plod of ‘When Darkness Calls’ – although it takes an age to get going – or the straight up psych-rattle of ‘Evil Ways’.

Sandwiched in-between these gems are the vibrant ‘The Seer (Angel Of Death)’, which truly judders the spine in its monolithic gait, and the forlorn ‘The Day The Sun Died’, which is an eight-minute bad trip of stark bass, naked drum nods and moody, bluesy vocal growls.

Whether it is doom or whether it’s just mournfully stoned, only you can decide. However, when the Led Zeppelin-ish ‘Presence’ comes drifting in with the ghost of messrs Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones on its back, you may be asking as to why the band chose such mimicry. Having said that though, it’s still a bloody good gargantuan tune to end an opus.

I do hope that Sideburn attract more fans with this new outing because they are clearly very good songwriters capable of churning out memorable riffs and rather evocative lyrics. But Evil Or Divine also suggests a band loitering in limbo between those “doom” and “stoner” tags, so it would seem that such terms would have made more of a fitting title. However, it’s still a very rewarding record considering the restrictions of the genres it is so obviously inspired by.

Neil Arnold

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