Located in Vienna, Austria, Samsara Joyride started as two guitarists, Michael Haumer and Florian Miehe in a living room in early 2020. Only a few months later an at-home recorded EP was released and received positive reviews and interest, leading to Daniel Batliner – Bass and Andi Mittermühlner – Drums being added to the group. Now with a full band dynamic in place, the band started work on new material for their upcoming first full-length album released October 22, 2022. Shaped around guitar-driven melodies and stirring rhythms, Samsara Joyride’s sound is a smooth blend of mesmerizing riffs, intense guitar solos, and striking baritone vocals. The genre is best described as blues rock, with strong psychedelic elements and a desert rock vibe.
Coming in at 68 minutes with nine songs means you’ll get some extended jams with multiple guitar solos which includes the album closer, “Lingering Thoughts” at twelve and a half minutes. Opener “Kingdom of Fear Pt. 1” has a solid rock riff building to the chorus section of vocalists and guitarists Miehe, and Haumer. Next the song builds into a slow, heavy groove, followed by a heavy, Sabbath-like breakdown and finally into an extended guitar solo. Track 2, “Playing War” opens with guitar volume swells and vibrato and a second guitar playing a delay heavy line with drummer Mittermühlner playing crash cymbal accents and cross-stick beats. At 2:30 minutes in straight-ahead rock chording takes over during the first verse. At 4:00 minutes tom fills signify a change to a heavier riff and solo type fills into another verse and into a psychedelic passage with volume swells, feedback and delay.
Track 3, “Who Am I” starts off with a similar slow burn groove as Track 2’s, “Playing War” but with the introduction of a guitar solo and doubled guitar lines. Miehe’s lyrics here provide some introspection many of us can relate to with lines such as, “Where would I go if I were free?” and “We build our own prison cells, create our own little hell.” The last chorus breaks out into a ripping guitar solo with octave slides and is one of the best on the album.
Track 5, “Kingdom of Fear Pt. 2” which is a natural break at the midway point of the album goes in to an entirely new direction with Haumer taking center stage on vocals and slide guitar. This is straight ahead 60’s -70’s style blues in the tradition of Howlin Wolf, Eric Clapton, or The Allman Brothers. With a soulful delivery and first-rate guitar techniques, this is a great track for any fan of a traditional blues sound.
There is a tremendous amount of talent on display here. With two distinct vocal styles, Miehe with the deep baritone with some similarities to ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons to Haumer’s higher more mid-range delivery. The two work well together in the chorus sections of songs and on their own lead vocal turns, both bring their own unique style. The rhythm section of Batliner on bass and Mittermühlner on drums are locked in doing their part by giving space during the quiet sections of the songs, but turning on the power when the heavy riffs take over. Mittermühlner is very adept at providing accents to the songs with hi-hat, floor tom fills, and cross-stick snare beats. The twin guitar attack is often exciting to listen to with slower reverb and delay-affected passages, heavy Sabbath-style riffing, acoustic lines, and the aforementioned slide guitar. With as much talent as is on display here, the future seems very bright for the band. For additional info on songwriting, future albums, and tour plans check out our interview with the band on October 22, 2022.
Lineup
Florian Miehe – Vocals/Guitar
Daniel Batliner – Bass
Andi Mittermühlner – Drums
Michael Haumer – Vocals/Guitar
Track List
- Kingdom of Fear Pt.1
- Playing War
- Who Am I?
- Shadow of a Man
- Kingdom of Fear Pt.2
- Feed on Me
- When Gods Were Man
- Wild Woman
- Lingering Thoughts