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.

So what do we have here? Another Stoner Metal band from the UK. What makes this band standout from the other great Stoner Metal Bands from the UK.

Well I will tell you. Firstly General has a certain Gaz from ace UK Doomsters – Alunah – on guitar. Plus their excellent debut album – Where Are Your Gods Now – has been mastered by the legendary Billy Anderson and recorded by Greg Chandler.

And it sounds amazing from the word go. You can hear every grizzled Stoner Metal riff to perfection.

Now back to the album. Where Are Your Gods Now is a 9 song full throttle 54 minute blast of Stoner Metal
carnage. Taking influence from the classic Stoner Metal bands of Monster Magnet, Clutch, Kyuss and Fu Manchu.

But adding some great Doom/Sludge Metal influences to their music as well. If you were brought on mid 90’s to early 00’s Stoner Metal then your going to love this like I did.

Opening track – Better Dead – shows that General mean business from the offset. Lead superbly by ace vocalist – Graham who has a hint of early Dave Wyndorf about him. The band showcases their own blend of high voltage pummelling riffs.

You know from this song your in for a great ride. OK it might not be breaking any new barriers but when the music sounds this great you just don’t care.

Just strap in and listen to the almighty angry grizzled sounds of General. As they do sound like an old grizzled Army Veteran who has seen it all before. The carnage, the destruction and not wanting to care anymore.

Up next is Make Or Breakdown which sets out the foundations for this great album. A 5 minute blast of machine
gun type Stoner/Sludge Rock riffage that is very hard to ignore. It will have you head-banging or playing air guitar from the very first second.

Now  the next song is where the album takes off in a big way. Bullet Train is a 6 minute blast that Monster Magnet would be proud to call their own. This is where the band is at their most ferocious and angriest. As Graham shouts out “I don’t need you anymore”. This is where General come into their own existence and where
you will love this album.

General show with their next song – The 7 minute – Out Of The Sky they can slow things down to a gentler pace which shows the band in a devastating reflective pace. But still as powerful as the other 3 great songs that came before it. This is the band’s “lighter/mobile phone in the air” song that all great bands need to slow things right down before the normal business of pounding heavy riffs carries on as normal.

And carry on they do. Especially with the next track.- Blood Of The Pig – A mean dirty Sludge Rock song that showcases this bands talent once again in writing a hard hitting riff. Led superbly well yet again by Graham. It has a cool psych rock vibe that makes it one of the albums standout tracks.

OK I have reviewed the first 5 songs and that is all the songs I am going to review as I don’t want to spoil it
for you anymore. But believe me the album has 4 more excellent tracks to show why I rate General so highly.

The last song Hydrogen is an 11:42 minute monster of a track that will have you pressing the repeat button over and over again.

Where Are Your Gods Now is truly thunderous affair that should get them noticed in the ever expanding Stoner Metal scene. Like their army rank they have battled through the ranks to proclaim themselves as one of the brightest hopes of UK Stoner Metal.

General might not win any awards for originality but they make up for it with the amount of amazing hard hitting
riffs on show from start to finish.

An excellent album from a great band that I am expecting big things from in the years to come.

You can buy Where Are Your Gods Now from Catacomb Records from all good stockists now.

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