My fellow Swedes, Salem's Pot, have been very productive since their inception in 2011. After one full-length, two singles, a split and an appearance on a compilation, they are now back with their sophomore release, 'Pronounce This!' All this activity has certainly played in their favour with the new wax showcasing a fantastic knack for composing compelling and captivating music. Yes, you're right dear waverider, Salem's Pot are getting better and better by the minute and I love that!
Being the new masters of occult, trippy, modernized 70's space rock, Salem's Pot levels the other-worldly playing fields with this album. Moving within a music sphere that is severely over-crowded, it is easy for bands to sink without a trace, but that’s not a problem for these guys. Taking what they have and hitting the ground running, we’re all taken on trip – hopefully an everlasting one at that – leaving all slow pokes and smartasses behind.
‘Tranny Takes A Trip’ has the occasional Thin Lizzy twin axe attack sound backed by a laidback and groovy yet distinct and direct rhythm section. Add a trippy as hell keyboard chasing for cosmos and beyond, and riffs of intergalactic proportions while fantastic guitar solo after guitar solo are fired off. ‘Just For Kicks’ starts kinda bluesy juxtaposed with surf rock vibes. Again that trippy, spaced out keyboard pops up along with a touch of doom and kick ass rock’n’roll making everything a brilliant headfuck. Those riffs being pulled off in ‘The Vampire Strikes Back’ are something else! Haunted, desperate vocals run side by side with hooks that kill. There are late 60’s, early 70’s vibes with attitude, space and pure old rock’n’roll permeates throughout. And do I dare say it? Yes, that freaked out keyboard is there and it scares the hell out of me in a great way. ’Coal Mind’ is by far the longest track on the album and comes on with strong excellent movie vibes at first…courtesy of the frightening electronic sounds emanating from the ivories. Slow, punishing doom walks side by side with this until a sudden quick change into heavy blues territory mixed with a bit of Iron Maiden and Deep Purple for good measure. Then it all reverts back to horror movie music again. Brilliant and scary indeed and listen to those solos!
A slight change occurs
towards the end of ‘Pronounce This!’.
Still retaining their psychedelic, doomy, trippy space rock, Salem’s Pot veers off into the land of
country! Don’t be afraid though, dear waveriders, because ‘So Gone, So Dead’, which is semi-acoustic, demolishes just about
everything within that cowboy genre. As odd as the song might seem at first, it
works so well with the whole theme of the album. Most likely because of the
superior lyrics. Could have been something Nick Cave
recorded for his ‘Murder Ballads’
album. Sticking – somewhat - to the country formula, closer ‘Desire’ is initiated by a twangy
electric guitar. But once the singing commences backed by an organ, the song
morphs into something sinister, yet beautiful. The guitar solo amidst the doom
and gloom is so liberating.
I really like ‘Lurar Ut Dig På Prärien’, Salem’s Pot’s debut album, it still holds up so well. But ‘Pronounce This!’ has elevated these guys to a top notch outfit. Everything on this album is elaborate and well thought-through, as well as greatly executed. At the same time, it is so free-flowing and unshackled without any boundaries and that’s a trademark of a band way above the rest…and they are still climbing!
-Swedebeast
