MUSTASCH – Sounds Like Hell, Looks Like Heaven
- Posted on 31-01-2013
The buzz about this band is contagious: part stoner rock, part metal- and very melodic with their grooves and melodies. Welcome to the world of Swedish quartet Mustasch. "Sounds Like Hell, Looks Like Heaven" is their sixth full length since their 1998 start, but my first time taking in a full record outside of my social media exposure to the group. Shaking my head at the suits who seem clueless as to the band’s obvious worldwide sonic potential, tracks like "The Challenger", swanky "Countdown to Extinction"-like "Cold Heart Mother Son" and personal favorite "Your Father Must Be So Proud Of You" (that opening guitar lick and chorus melody embedded in my cranium for months now) go down as smooth as lemonade or iced tea with a scorching summer sun.
Rhythm guitarist Ralf Gyllenhammar has a sultry delivery to his vocals, bringing obvious comparisons to Glenn Danzig but also Ian Astbury. To me if acts like Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss could make an impact, why can’t Mustasch who also understand how to keep the focus on strong grooves and compact 3-4 minute songs that subscribe to attention getting verses, guitar harmonies and counterpoint nuances, as well as a rhythm section that isn’t fancy and keeps your feet tapping to the beat. The album ends on a mysterious note with the streaming news reports against a repetitive organ part for "Northern Link"- almost beckoning the listener to return to "Speed Metal" for another go around.
Radio would be in better shape if the average consumer could hear more Mustasch on their daily commutes and less ‘faceless’ acts that only show up once every couple hours in between Green Day, Pink Floyd, and Stone Temple Pilots classic cuts. Time for me to seek out the entire Mustasch catalog.