EL CACO – 7
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 04-12-2015
Long-time Norwegian hard rock favorites El Caco bring the stoner groove vibe again on "7". Eight songs that dig quickly into the brain and body, get out and leave people exhilarated. Cool bass/ drum interaction during instrumental sections of "Ambivalent" gives off a little bit of a Rush vibe, as bassist/vocalist Øyvind Osa sings and screams in that penetrating, plaintive method perfect for the lower tuned arrangements. I love the ‘oh…oh’ background vocals on the up tempo "The Silver Light", something I could hear bounding across rock radio stations worldwide for its infectious riff/melody template.
An instrumental like "In Space All Huge Beasts Seem Tiny" gives the three-piece room to explore, a jam-oriented 3:40 arrangement that ebbs and flows, guitarist Anders Gjesti and drummer Fred Wallumrød semi-tribal at times and doomy in others to get their musical points across. Imagine a mix of 90’s grunge, Tool, King’s X and possibly a dirtier feel to it all and that’s the essence of El Caco’s sound – brilliant, filled to the brim with hooks, and no filler in sight.
Consistency rewards, and "7" keeps the excellence on high.