Wednesday 27 December 2017

WEDGE - Killing Tongue (Album Review)


Release date: February 09th 2017. Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Killing Tongue – Tracklisting

01. NUTHIN'
02. LUCID
03. TIRED EYES
04. QUARTER TO DAWN
05. HIGH HEAD WOMAN
06. KILLING TONGUE
07. ALIBI
08. WHO AM I?
09. PUSH AIR

Members

Kiryk Drewinski: mostly lead vocals & guitars
Holger "The Holg" Grosser: mostly drums & backing vocals
David Götz: mostly bass guitar & organ

Review

Retro Stoner Rockers - Wedge - return with their new album - Killing Tongue. Their latest album for Heavy Psych Sounds. The album sees Wedge deliver a more bombastic and fresher sound of their celebrated debut album. Wedge has returned to the classic stripped back sounds of sixties and seventies that made their debut album such a winner. This time Wedge injects a seedier Occult/Doom Rock into the background.

Opening track - Nuthin' - is a fast-paced and simply played number with the band taking influence from The Who and The Rolling Stones at times. It's a very cool sound and one that is superbly played. The lyrics are simple but effective with the killer vocals adding a vintage feel. The organs and keyboards are a nice touch that has a nice organic feel.

Second track - Lucid - is a classic psychedelic doomy little number with the band injecting a more Stoner Rock atmosphere with trippy style lyrics. This is one of the best songs on the album as Wedge seems to be in the moment creating a lush classic sounding rock fable. The instrumental work on Killing Tongue sees Wedge having a more experimental edge compared to their last album with third track - Tired Eyes - offering a more sinister doomy style substance.

The psychedelic sounds offer moments of almost trippy Middle Eastern style rock. The song has many different parts with Wedge not settling for a more settled sound and that's a good thing. As the band are at least trying something different on this album and for most of the songs contained on the album. This song becomes more of a Blues/Hard Rock number but the band never shy away from their Hard Rock/Doom/Stoner Rock roots.

I've heard recently that some people are starting to become bored with the entire "Retro Rock" genre but wait until they hear this album. As Lucid is a bold and psychedelic hard rock album that presses all the right buttons in entertaining the sheer heck out of you. I really want to like the fourth track - Quarter To Dawn - but I couldn't really connect with that song. It's nicely played and the song has some very cool instrumental arrangements but for some reason I couldn't find that emotional connection like I did with the other songs. 

Though the other songs on the album sees Wedge return to winning ways with High Head Woman, Killing Tongue and Alibi all offering their own moments of genuine excitement within the Retro/Stoner Rock field.

The final two songs Who Am I? and Push Air - has Wedge playing perhaps the best two songs on the album. Both songs carry on the psychedelic "lucid" style of Classic/Stoner Rock with the superb lyrics leave you wanting more. The production for Killing Tongue is flawless throughout. Even though the album is very much a Retro/Classic Rock album, it still doesn't stop this album sounding remarkably hip and fresh.

Killing Tongue is a superbly entertaining album and will have no trouble establishing Wedge reputation even further within the Classic/Stoner Rock scenes.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Killing Tongue will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from February 09th 2018

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