Sometimes a band name is all you need to hear to know what you are going to get. So when a band is called Wizard rifle it’s fairly clear that they don’t take themselves too seriously. That doesn’t mean that they don’t take their music seriously though, far from it as their latest album shows. What you get from the Portland band on this self- titled album is five tracks of gloriously bombastic sound. A melding of stoner, sludge and good old fashioned rock and roll played with the swagger of a band at the top of their game.
The first thing to note about this band is that it will take you several listens before you accept that they are actually a two piece, because for two guys armed with only guitar and drums they make a righteously loud noise. From the get go you are blasted with a wall of fuzzed up sound delivered with pure conviction and first class musicianship. Each track on the album morphs and twists, shaped by Max Dameron’s guitar work and kicked along by Sam Ford’s drumming. From the opening frantic mayhem of ‘Rocket to Hell’, via the idiot stomp of ‘Caveman Waltz’ and the psychedelic musings of ‘Funeral of the sun’ it’s clear that Wizard Rifle are more than happy to wander off to wherever the mood takes them, bouncing from genre to genre to great effect. They’re not reinventing the wheel with this album, and they’re not making any claims that they are. What you get with this album is some amazing songs played with conviction and panache from two musicians having an awesome time. It’s a wonderful way to blast some loud music and is a genuinely joyful slice of rock and roll revelry.
Wizard Rifle is available now via Svart Records and can be purchased here.
Words: Nathan Tyler
