Black Elephant – “Cosmic Blues” (2018) review
Black Elephant – Cosmic Blues (Small Stone Recordings, 2018)
Third album from Italian quartet continues to mine their heavy psychedelic blues, verging at times on sludgy Sabbathian riffage. There’s no denying guitarist Alessio Caravelli’s heavy metal rawk influences, and his typically chest-pounding thunderous vocals are vintage ’70s cock-rock posturing. Grunge fanatics may hear vestiges of Soundgarden trading riffs with Hendrix and the Experience throughout ‘Helter Skelter’ (not THAT one!), while others are sure to pick up possible influences from Nick Saloman’s side-long extended Bevis Frond wankoffs.
‘Chase Me’ is a speed freak’s wah-wah heaven, ‘Walking Dead’ enjoys a ZZ Top-styled bar band boogie, the title track (‘Cosmic Blues for Solitary Moose’) tears down the walls with its stalking, earth-rattling heavy metal thunder, and the heart-pounding pummeling doesn’t stop until the final strains of screaming scorcher ‘Inno’ finishes turning your brain to mush.
Break out the bongs and earplugs and dive right in for some head-banging stoner vibes!
– Jeff Penczak
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