The UK Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene has been a revelation over the last few years throwing out some brilliant bands for everyone to check out. Desert Storm, Alunah, Conan, Diesel King, Sea Bastard and Steak to name but a few.

Now we have Gringo. A genre defying Rock Band playing their own blend of Rock/Metal music. Their debut album - The Cold Burn - is a very strange beast indeed. Psych, Doom, Stoner, Classic Rock and Space Rock combine for a brilliant wildly fucked up ride from start to finish.

The press bio said the following:

"The Cold Burn" is the debut album by Cleobury Mortimer (Shropshire, England) based band Gringo. The band describe themselves as the twisted end result of a combination of influences ranging from Iommi to Einstein, hangovers to horsepower, space cadets to space exploration; unhindered by genre cliches whilst remaining true to the heritage of Midlands heaviness.

So from that description we are expecting Black Sabbath with Brains venturing into Space. Well that's what I read from it. OK so lets get down to business. What you do get is a cosmic/space party that feels like an extended jam between Alice In Chains, Black Sabbath, Kyuss, Mastodon, Monster Magnet and Thin Lizzy.

So if you're a fan of those legendary bands then your going to love these riff-slaying astronauts as Gringo are not ashamed of where they have came from. The Cold Burn may not be the most original album but damn it is definitely one of the most wildest I have heard this year.

First track - Decaying The Orbit - gets straight down to business in laying down some epic riffs for you to rock out to. Co-Lead Vocalists - Andy and Mark have a great duelling competition going on to give this track such a great laid back affair. The 7 minutes flies by as your having too much fun to care. A great start to the album.

2nd track - Legalise It - is a 41 second sonic based track showcasing the bands Sci-fi ideas. There are a few track within the albums 14 tracks. Short based Sci-fi style noises and sounds before the epic riffs kick in once again.

Especially on 3rd track - Babylon. A fast paced affair over and done with inside 3:15 minutes. Though it still has plenty of great head-banging riffs for you to check out. Originality isn't the name of the game here folks but gigantic huge riffs are and this track has plenty.

Up next is - The Void - An almost 5 minute track showcasing once again the bands superior skills at writing highly infectious riffs and vocals to match. If you're a fan of 70's style Classic Rock then this track will speak intergalactic volumes to you. The song is dripping so much into 70s style Classic Rock territory that Darth Vader has this track on repeat listens on his iPod in a galaxy far, far away.

You may think 14 tracks is too much for an album like this and I would agree with you but Gringo have created an album with such an easy-going atmosphere that you will be head-banging right from the start. They have written some truly epic riffs with a sublime Space-Rock feel. I dare you not to rock out with devil horns or lightsabers in the air when 5th track Curiosity comes on to slay you with. As it has some of the albums finest riffs played at maximum level.

The Cold Burn carries on this insane blend of genre defying riffs that will entertain the hell out of you through out the albums 42 minute running time. Gringo have some crazy ideas up their sleeves to stand out from the crowd and The Cold Burn is the perfect album to show-off their brilliant talents.

Though Gringo do call on one of their famous friends to duet with on the excellent last track - No Way Out. Soph Day from rising UK Doom/Stoner Metallers - Alunah - lends her excellent sultry vocals to the albums best track. It has a slight Mastodon - Crack The Skye feel though Gringo make it sound so original. It ends the album on a great high.

Set your riffs to stun as Gringo have delivered an excellent debut album full of sonic riffs to impress you with. The Cold Burn is another winning entry from the UK Stoner Metal scene. Hunt it out when it's finally released.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Catacomb Records for sending me a promo to review. The Cold Burn is available to buy from on November 11th 2013.

Gringo’s self-proclaimed influences include the formidable genius of Tony Iommi and Albert Einstein, and both men would surely approve of this exciting piece of stoner innovation. ‘E’ may equal ‘mc2’ (we’ll trust Albert on that one) but Gringo have come up with their own formula for smart, inventive metal.

The word ‘gringo’ – simultaneously a derogatory Spanish-language term for a foreigner and a descriptor for an outsider who has embraced a new culture – may initially be suggestive of Mexico, deserts and tequila, but this band from the Midlands of England is more complex than that.

In fact, the band’s monicker perfectly represents the two sides of their music. On one hand, The Cold Burn delivers dynamic, big-riffing stoner metal that is familiar and accessible, tying in with the latter definition of the word. But then there’s the other side, which deals with alienation and the unknown, and this is where the band’s wide-ranging influences come to the fore.

In addition to the usual Sabbath and Kyuss nods, this album resonates with the sorrowful wailings of Alice In Chains, AC/DC’s kick-ass attitude, the tight groove of The Obsessed, Voivod’s penchant for avant-garde experimentation, and even the lunatic sci-fi thrashings of Vektor. It’s a captivating combination that ensures Gringo have carved themselves a special niche in the overcrowded stoner market.

The Cold Burn cleverly balances progressivity and tradition. Straightforward metal passages that feature uplifting key changes and Iommi-inspired guitar work (particularly in the title track and opener ‘Decaying Orbit’) are countered with adventurous tempo switches and time signatures as well as synthy spacewalks.

A number of the songs feature atmospheric keyboard-tickling that would not be out of place on an Amorphis or Stratovarius album and it works brilliantly. In fact, it’s a shame that Gringo choose not to integrate even more of these passages into their music rather than in slightly self-conscious mini-tracks between songs.

There are a few other missed opportunities, such as the song ‘Curiosity’ – a dense, hypnotising creation that does not quite build into the epic it could have been. And the repeated use of layered vocals throughout The Cold Burn can make it difficult to engage with the central vocal melody. It’s a commonly used trick that too often saps a little energy from the music and here it reduces the impact of Gringo’s intriguing lyrical content. The band’s reliance on this would be understandable if singer (and guitarist) Marc Temple lacked confidence in the strength of his voice, but, as shown in strange little ditty ‘The Great Provider’, his vocals are potent enough in isolation.

The Cold Burn is an original and sometimes brilliant album that is sure to entertain, whether your cranium is accustomed to theoretical physics, Sabbath homage or good old-fashioned head-banging.

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