Kev Rowland
Well, it has been five years since the debut, and three years since it was reissued on Aural Music, but at long last one of my favourite Greek bands are back with the follow-up. There have been some changes afoot, with singer/ bassist Anastasios “Tas” Ioannidis leaving, and the band taking the opportunity to move from a trio to a quartet by bringing in vocalist Takis Mark and bassist Kostas Dragon-K, but there hasn’t been a significant change in sound. What we have here is music that is grounded in stoner, doom and southern (that’s pronounced ‘Suvverrrrnnn!!”), yet contains a groove and vitality that takes it away from the navel-gazing that can so often be associated with the former. There is no way that music such as this should be coming from Europe, this is as American as Jack Daniels, and each time I play this I am astounded at just how original and authentic this sounds!
It hits hard, with stacks of bottom end, but it is the inherent groove and swing that lightens this and provides the drama and vitality that lifts this so far above the norm. I had forgotten just how good Phase Reverse actually are until I put this on the player, but now I remember it is going to take a lot to shift them out! Yet another stunning album from the Greeks, let’s hope that it isn’t nearly as long until the next one. www.phasereverse.com