Mammoth Volume – Noara Dance – Review

Mammoth Volume

Noara Dance (TMC)
by Craig Regala

Second disc from this rock band. Yeah, rock. Like early FM album rock, the kinda stuff that parents called “hard rock” in ’74. Now it’s “retro metal” even though it’s hard to really pinpoint exactly what they are “reviving,” unless you point to the general mid-tempo rocker reality that encompasses a bunch of stuff in the ’68-’75 period (Granicus anyone?) which is now getting its due. I’d say Mammoth Volume are mainly going for a tone and feel and using it as a springboard, as many TMC bands are. Really, this is as close to QOTSA or Clutch in impulse as a smelly, 30-year-old dollar.

They keep things moving along, the organ is used as texture and lead (OK, I’ll mention the band Focus and their hit “Hocus Pocus” cuz it’s geographically and sonically appropriate). I like that there’re a couple/100 bands working up a head of steam based on the reviled (according to official rock history which says nothing happened between Sergeant Pepper and punk rock) early ’70s. Oh, except for fuckin’ singer/songwriters. This is similar to what a bargeload of “punk” bands have done with the fertile surf, hot rod, garage, Tex-Mex period between ’58 and ’64, the first time the official rock culture defined rock’n’roll as moribund — you know, until the fucking British Invasion saved us and gave Jann Wenner snappy pics of John Lennon to jerk off over (as with much of the middle class/folky pop college crowd, Elvis was a little too, shall we say, “rough trade”) as he started Rolling Stone.

My wife just poked her head in and said this sounds like “a European take on Fatso Jetson.” She also mentioned it’s a great tanning day and since that’s a major concern in this household, I’ll close this by saying it doesn’t have as much overt crunch as their first, but it still rocks and reels quite well. It’s a touch over 30 minutes and plays well after either Spiritual Beggar disc. Sons of Budgie? Sure. Same density, same acoustic touches/tunes to open things up, same sensibility and friendliness.
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