Tag: guitar solos

SUPERCHAINED – Symbolic

by desertrockunited3960, posted in Music Reviews

Superchained is a solo musical project by Hugo Lanvin, launched in 2017. As its sole member, Hugo composes and records all tracks independently. After a period of sonic exploration, he released the first EP, The 0,00$ EP, in 2019, followed by the debut album Strangekind in 2022. These releases laid the foundation for the new project and helped define his unique musical identity.

Following Strangekind, the future of Superchained was uncertain. A second album had never been part of the original plan—the intent was to release a single, ten-track album that fully captured the essence of the project. This led Hugo to a pivotal question: “Should I continue this project or move on to something else?”

In confronting this dilemma, he experienced a mix of doubt and introspection, but also a renewed drive to create another album—one that would further solidify Superchained’s identity. The goal was not to replicate Strangekind, but to evolve naturally: staying true to the project’s roots while venturing into musical styles he had long admired.

Genre-bending grit meets emotional depth in Hugo Lanvin’s latest solo release

If you haven’t heard of Superchained yet, now’s the time to tune in. The one-man project helmed by Hugo Lanvin returns with Symbolic, a bold follow-up that refuses to play it safe. This isn’t just another alt-rock record—it’s a layered, genre-hopping exploration of identity, emotion, and sonic evolution.

🎶 Sound & Style
Symbolic blends grunge-rooted riffs with alternative rock textures, but that’s just the foundation. Lanvin throws in ballads, funk grooves, fusion flourishes, indie punk energy, and even flashes of metal. It’s a melting pot of influences that somehow never feels scattered. Think Alice in Chains meets Smashing Pumpkins but filtered through a deeply personal lens.

The production is tight without being sterile. Lanvin aimed for a modern, balanced mix—each instrument has its space, and nothing feels over-polished. It’s raw where it needs to be, refined where it counts.

🧠 Themes & Emotion
This album is introspective to its core. Drawing from lived experiences, Lanvin explores themes of doubt, identity, and artistic purpose. It’s the kind of record that invites repeat listens—not just for the sound, but for the emotional layers tucked beneath.

🎸 DIY Spirit
What makes Symbolic even more impressive? Hugo Lanvin did it all. Electric and bass guitars, piano, drums, vocals—every note is his. That DIY ethos pulses through the album, giving it a sense of urgency and authenticity that’s hard to fake.

💭 Final Thoughts
For fans of emotionally charged rock with a fearless approach to genre, Symbolic is a must-listen. It’s not just an album—it’s a statement of artistic resilience and evolution.

Tracklist:

1. Born Again

2. Let’s Make Something

3. New Sensation

4. 9:17

5. Falling Down

6. The Trip

7. All About the Money

8. Runaway

9. The Narcissist

10. Prosthetic Head

For more information on Superchained
👉 https://linktr.ee/superchained

Symbolic is available now on CD digipack and streaming via Bitume Prods label.

SOLACE – Further (2025 Reissue)

by desertrockunited3960, posted in Music Reviews

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Further first dropped in 2000, it marked the arrival of Solace as one of the East Coast’s most punishing and inventive stoner doom outfits. Twenty-five years later, Magnetic Eye Records has given the record a new lease on life, remastering the band’s debut and pairing it with a treasure trove of bonus material. Sadly, this reissue doubles as an unintended tribute to original frontman Jason L., who passed away earlier this year. His presence looms large across the record—raw, feral, and commanding—and this edition ensures his voice will continue to rattle speakers for years to come.

If Further were released as a brand-new album today, it would still feel like a major statement. The remaster sharpens its edges without sanding down the grit, giving the riffs more bite and the low end more weight.

The album’s opening run of songs sets the tone brilliantly:

“Man Dog” erupts with chugging riffs and Jason’s throat-tearing vocals, a track that feels halfway between Motörhead’s reckless charge and Sabbath’s oppressive stomp. It’s the kind of opener that makes a mission statement loud and clear.

“Black Unholy Ground” follows with a darker, more lumbering feel. The riffs here are suffocating, crushing down like concrete slabs, while Jason’s vocal delivery leans into apocalyptic sermon territory.

“Followed” drags things into the swamp. The tempo sinks, the distortion thickens, and the song oozes menace—perfect for fans who prefer their doom with an extra layer of grime.

“Whistle Pig” kicks the energy back up, riding a surging groove with a riff that borders on classic rock swagger, though twisted through Solace’s dirt-metal filter. It’s one of the album’s more driving tracks.

“Hungry Mother” pivots again, starting with a slow, foreboding build before exploding into one of the record’s heaviest climaxes. The song embodies Solace’s signature push-and-pull between sludge and fury.

This pendulum swing between ferocity and sludge, between heavy rock swagger and doom-laden crawl, is what keeps Further gripping even as it stretches past the hour mark.

Highlights from the remainder of the set include “Suspicious Towers,” which slips in a spoken-word lift from the cult sci-fi flick The Creation of Humanoids. Normally a gimmick, here it lands with eerie effectiveness, a perfect prelude to the song’s lurching menace.

The reissue doesn’t stop at polishing the core album. Six bonus tracks expand the picture, including covers of Iron Maiden (“Another Life”), Lynyrd Skynyrd (“On the Hunt”), Misfits (“We Bite”), and James Gang (“Funk #49,” captured live in Tokyo back in ’98). Far from throwaways, these renditions showcase Solace’s ability to bend other genres into their own brand of what they once called “dirt metal”—part doom, part hardcore muscle, part Jersey grit.

The remastered Further clocks in at over 90 minutes, but it never feels bloated. Instead, it plays like a reminder of just how vital this band was at the turn of the millennium—and how much Jason L.’s guttural roar defined their sound. This reissue doesn’t just honor an album; it honors a legacy.

Verdict: A powerhouse debut given new fire, Further (2025) is both a fitting tribute and a record that still competes with the best of the genre today. Pour one out for Jason, crank this loud, and let Solace’s dirt metal thunder roll.

Tracklist
1. Man Dog (2025 Remaster)
2. Black Unholy Ground (2025 Remaster)
3. Followed (2025 Remaster)
4. Whistle Pig (2025 Remaster)
5. Hungry Mother (2025 Remaster)
6. Angels Dreaming (2025 Remaster)
7. Suspicious Tower (2025 Remaster)
8. Heavy Birth/2-Fisted (2025 Remaster)
9. Another Life
10. We Bite
11. On the Hunt
12. Heavy Birth/2-Fisted (Distanced from Reality version)
13. Dirt
14. Funk #49 (Live in Tokyo ’98)

Recording line-up
Jason – voice, lyrics
Tommy Southard – guitars
Bill “Bixby” Belford – drums
Rob Hultz – bass

Samsara Joyride-The Subtle and The Dense

by desertrockunited3960, posted in Music Reviews

Samsara Joyride, the Vienna Austria-based blues, stoner, psych rock band, has been making waves in the music industry with their unique blend of Psych/Stoner/Blues jams since 2020. Released on February 23rd, 2024 the album is available on most streaming platforms and the band’s Bandcamp page. Let’s take a trip to the desert via Vienna and enjoy the ride as they take us into “The Subtle and The Dense.”

To Capture the Essence 

The limited-edition Vinyl comes in Oxblood color and with an 8-page booklet (Artwork by Daniel Batliner and Laura Fichtenkamm) + additional download card.

Heaviness Found: “I Won’t Sign Pt.1”

The journey begins with high volume yell to call out what is to come next! The distorted bass rumble of Daniel Batliner and drum groove played  by Andi Mittermühlner are the foundation upon which the songs get its drive. Then once the dual riffing and solos of Florian Miehe and Michael Haumer kick in you are in for quite the sonic extravaganza.

The Rising Crescendo: “I Won’t Sign Pt. 2”

The second part of the first track Pt 2. is purely an instrumental affair that starts on a slow boil of atmospheric riffs building to an aggressive crescendo of heavy drum fills and blazing guitar solos until the end of the track.

The Stomp of Doom: “Too Many Preachers”

This track begins with a slow doom style riff and drum beat that has a Black Sabbath/Alice in Chains dirge. As the song progresses there are guitar harmonics, stop and start accents and a general sense that dread is about to befall all who dare to listen. The section from 4:15 to 5:50 is a section that is calling all to bow down to “The Rock”! Any stoner/hard rock fan will clearly know the band means business after listening to this track.

Dark Rhythms Are Calling: “Sliver”

The rhythm section here provides a very solid foundation for the guitars and vocals to shine. Mittermühlner has a great bass drum sound and crack to the snare with a hint of reverb that provides an additional accent to each drum hit. Once again Batliner has the right tone, deep and bass heavy without being muddy. The vocal highlight is at about 2:30 when both Haumer and Miehe are giving it their all and with the dynamics of each it makes for an interesting vocal. The outro is a chug fest that any hard rock/doom fan would enjoy.

The Dream is Real: “Who Tells The Story”

This track highlights SJ at their best. The full sonic palette is on display with tasty guitar fills, reverb enhanced lead guitar lines, distorted bass lines and high-powered vocals. At around the 4 1/2-minute mark the song begins to slow down with Batliner’s distorted and possibly flanger effected bass taking the point to send the song in a new direction. With the lead and background vocals taking center stage to exclaim, “Who Tells The Story”. This section is slowed down with cleaner guitar tones until the dual lead guitar lines break back in for the tempo to pick up and drive the song to its conclusion.

If You Want to Be Free: “No One Is Free”

This track starts out as a slow burn blues rock jam with tasty lead guitar licks before picking up the tempo about halfway thorough to become a hard charging heavy rocker that is certain to get your attention.

Light It Up: “Safe and Sound”

The album closer is a great change of pace from the sonic blast of the previous tracks. With a blues jazz swing type of vibe with saxophone accents and very solid background vocals from Laura Fichtenkamm. The vocal interplay between the deep baritone of Miehe and the higher register of Fichtenkamm works very well here. Tracks like this demonstrate the unique influences and creativity of the band and the ability to stand out among the crowd. For those of you who may be fortunate enough to visit the Southern California high desert of Joshua Tree this is your jam to play while star gazing!

Line Up:

Florian Miehe – Vocals/Guitar

Daniel Batliner – Bass

Andi Mittermühlner – Drums

Michael Haumer – Vocals/Guitar

Conclusion

In “The Subtle and The Dense,” Samsara Joyride has created an album that solidifies their place in the pysch/blues/desert rock landscape. The album takes listeners on a journey through heavy blues rock jams with hints of psychedelia and harder edged rock with enough guitar shredding to make any guitar fan enjoy the proceedings. The band has expanded their sound with a concerted effort to drive songs with heavier riffing, while at the same time knowing when to dial things down and marinate in a slower atmospheric brew of guitar reverb, fuzz bass and even saxophone at times.

The musicianship as expected has only grown stronger since 2022’s self-titled release. The rhythm section of Batliner and Mittermühlner complement each other well and with the addition of some well-placed bass effects adds a subtle heaviness under the guitar lines. With two fully capable players in Miehe and  Haumer the challenge may often be who gets to shine and who would take a backseat as both can craft great lead and melodic lines. There is no shortage of interesting guitar lines and high intensity solos, and yet when called upon both players know when to let the groove take over and give songs room to breathe a bit. Overall this is a great effort by the band that has an appeal to a wide range of listeners.