It’s been two years since Red Mountain’s debut, Down With The Sun – a full 12 months of which was apparently spent writing its follow-up. It’d be a fair wager that half that time again was spent rolling king-size Rizlas over a wellworn copy of Master Of Reality. While it wouldn’t be stoner rock without a nod to Birmingham’s finest, there are points where the Norwegians veer from homage into pastiche, particularly on closer Returning. Sabbath-worship aside, Slow Wander – named for the effect it will have on your gait – is a surprisingly complex album. Rat King is catchy in spite of its dirgey aspirations and Endless Ocean comes on like a sonic daydream. Paradoxically, Red Mountains are at their best when the distortion’s dialled back and the psychedelia takes hold, but their schizophrenic nature is all part of their charm.
Red Mountains - Slow Wander album review
Nordic stoner rockers make a foray beyond the Sabbath ground zero
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