So is it any good? Yes it bloody is. While some tracks sound like Acrimony out-takes this is a completely different beast altogether. Taking their name from the an ancient Sri Lanka-an landmark Return to Earth feels like a breath of fresh air. Album opener 'The Mountain Goat' begins with a rumbling bass line reminiscent of Geezer Butler, soon enough the band are jamming around a kick ass riff, while Darren Ivey's blistering drumming adds a sense of anarchy to the proceedings. If you aren't packing a bong or rolling a fat one after this stomping introduction, then these guys aren't for you.
Soon the crunching riffs come thick and fast, 'Hurricane' is self explanatory as it creates a swirling vortex of sound, that allows the listener to loose oneself in its trippy soundscapes. Vocalist Darren Walters lyrics are highly visual and help paint a picture of apocalyptic landscapes, and mass destruction. 'Hurricane's' end riff is one of the best on the album, a stunning fist pumping head banging riff, that pays homage to Heavy Metal masters Black Sabbath. However if you want a dope smoking, ball tripping tune turn 'Whisky Song' to full volume, and bask in its rumbling sounds and kick ass 70s style riff. The song has a killer pace, and is by far the best song on pretty faultless album.
While each song has a reasonable running time, the longest song on the album is 'Deathtrip to Eryri' a ten minute behemoth of astronomic sounds. Within moments of its rumbling bass and sucker punch riff, the listener is taken by the hand and transported into the cosmos. To fully appreciate the track, close your eyes and allow yourself to be taken on a spiritual journey through sight and sound.
While Return to Earth may be light on psychedelic sounds, it makes up for in catchy, weighty, monolithic riffs and great musicianship. Return to Earth is thick, juicy, heavy and all the things you would expect from a Stoner Rock album. While its a bit more mainstream than most Stoner Rock records, it will hopefully turn a new generation of fans onto this sub-genre which we love. 2011 is shaping up to be a great year for Stoner and Doom Metal.
9/10
Review Written By Saul Crowley
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