Molosser Crude – Swallow The Sun (2025)
If Molosser Crude had to be labelled, then based on earlier releases, and with a reluctant grimace, they “…defined themselves as a stoner rock outfit, throwing in grunge, blues, noise and jazz to round the bill…” Given my brief introduction to the duo with ‘Slave To The Voices’, I say there might be some truth to it, but how can you box a band with such diverse eclecticism and experimental eccentricity? Come with me as we delve into their most recent release, ‘Swallow The Sun’, and decide for yourself.
A week after reviewing their single, ‘Slave To The Voices’, we are hit once again by a rush of Molosser Crude’s unique musical stylings. As with ‘Slave To The Voices’ and everything else in their discography, ‘Swallow The Sun’ is not merely heard but a vivid sonic experience. Interestingly, while we continue to wade through a swampy mire of dark sonic water with the music dragging you further into the murky undergrowth, ‘Swallow The Sun’ has a less grungy ambience than we experienced in ‘Slave To The Voices’.
By no means is this wading through a swampy pool creepy or uncomfortable; oddly enough, it’s a trek you want to take. A hard-hitting smash of guitar and drums carries the melody with hard rock matching the metal blast; however, and this continues a sense of duality, there is a delta blues-y elegance to that “old Bayou” swirl of kaleidoscopic sound. Add Tess’s powerful vocals and even greater obscurity and eclecticism breathes across your sonic swamp.
Layered atop the brash guitars and drums, the vocals have an exuberant life of their own. In a slick of sassy blues, Tess gives you a cheeky wink, but a darker rock-inspired grit looms as she dips and weaves with a hard rock edge. The thing is, as much as Jahn’s instruments pull you down, they simultaneously push you up, with Tess giving an extra bump to the light at the end of a tunnel.
It sounds strange, but when you feel the song, it makes so much sense. Confident and bright, but with a suffocating rock-filled tragedy, ‘Swallow The Sun’ leaves you lost in a kaleidoscopic wash of “what the hell was that?”… but in a good way. This is the second single from Molosser Crude and I’m already a massive fan; I cannot wait for more from the intriguing pair.
Find out more about Molosser Crude on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
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