Saturday 5 December 2015

Duckhunters - Extinction Road (Album Review)


Release date: December 1st 2015. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD

Fear Of Man – Tracklisting

1.Introduction to Extinction 00:27
2.Killer Croc 03:58
3.Dragooning 06:45
4.Last Broadcast 05:10
5.The Road 06:40
6.Exile 01:55
7.The Bill 05:47
8.Hands of Doom 08:48

Band Members:

Guillaume (Guitar)
Manu (Vocals)
Isidore (Bass)
Alain (Drums, backing vocals)

Review:

There's a lot that I admire about Extinction Road, the debut album from French Stoner Metallers – Duckhunters. I love the concept of it all. The whole word has gone to shit and this album tells the whole story. The following is from Duckhunters BandCamp page.

The main highways have been blocked for months. As a result, traffic has been completely shut down in all the major cities. The planet is an ecological disaster. Climate change is now obvious. Heards of maddened beasts flee in total chaos.

In western countries, earthquakes have destroyed the main pipelines. An all-out war has been declared for resources. A growing rift separates North and South. Great nations are at war. Separatist clans fight constantly. Peace is nowhere to be found. Planes are stranded. Armies are paralyzed. Chaos reigns.

Madness is spreading like a plague. Mass riots have erupted across all continents. Entire stock markets crash one after the other. Banks are brutally flundered. The rich are entrenched behind mammoth walls. Poverty harvests victims by the hundreds every day.

Several cases of cannibalism have been reported. Famine hits. Diseases spread. Populations run. Nations are collapsing. Deserts expand. Survivors find refuge underground Man is no more. Nothing remains but the road."

OK that's a lot to take in for this album but it sets the scene for a thrilling Stoner Metal album. If you dig Kyuss, Unida and Los Disidentes Del Sucio Motel then this will appeal to you. From the opening grooves Killer Croc, Duckhunters will propel you into a dog-eat-dog world where the riffs are your only chance of survival. It's a trippy psychedelic affair with the band laying on plenty of FUZZ to immerse yourself with.

Manu's vocals may take some time getting used to but he's on confident form through out as the band play through a stunning set of songs such as Dragooning, Late Broadcast, The Road and the brilliant last song – Hands Of Doom.

Though I have to say the band ride their luck at times especially with their song – The Bill – as it sounds remarkably similar to Unida classic – Wet Pussycat. Maybe Duckhunters meant this song as an homage to Unida but you can't deny how very close to tone and structure the songs are. Then again, Duckhunters aren't the first band to be influenced by certain riffs and music nor will they be the last.

Apart from that minor complaint, Extinction Road is a superb debut album. It's on the final epic song – Hands Of Doom – where the band finally create their own sound and show what a great band they actually are. It shows that the French Stoner Metal scene is providing another great band to check out. I would hope that on the next album that Duckhunters will carry on the sound from Hands of Doom as they have the potential to release something special in the years to come. They're not their yet but the signs are encouraging as they do have some great ideas on this album.

If you're not bothered about the concept of the album and you're only here for the riffs then you will find much to admire here. As Extinction Road is a thrilling debut album that will appeal to all fans of Stoner Rock/Metal.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp