Southern rock inspired metal has been on rise for some years now. A big slice of these bands have one cardinal sin: No ear-catching riffs! Greek Potergeist (what the fuck is that kind of a name?!) are one of these Southern metal bands. They started it all back in 2004, and have put out four full-length albums to date, 'Crocodile Tears' being the latest one. The media coined them as a "swamp metal" band, picturing their dark Southern blues sound.

First, I was struck by the massive production. It's really punching and bass-heavy, and pretty much perfect for this kind of music. It's not too clean, as guitarists' finger movements on strings are occasionally audible. You know it sounds cool! Soon, it was clear, that these guys know their Alabama Thunderpussy, Corrosion Of Conformity, Down and Black Label Society. But were Potergiest able to bring in anything of their own? Well, not really. You won't hear any fucking bouzouki or lyre here! No, musicwise this does sound 100% USA, not Greek at all. Even the vocalist handles his North American English. His voice has some Zakk Wylde, crooning Phil Anselmo and Layne Staley in it. Lyrics are universal, and mostly about relationships and feelings, except for a swampire and Mississippi witch who make appearances...

So, this is Southern and stoner; blues-based (yeah, I know, but this sound way more so than thrash metal, right?), mid-paced tempos, bassy riffing, sturdy rhythm section, and crooning-cum-rough vocals. Earthy riffs... Potergeist have them. Often familiar, but some are still great. There's palm muting, vibration, memorable chord progression and it sounds dangerous, due to rough playing and pinch harmonics. The riffs aren't the only thing here, as nice lead guitar work betters songs. There's no solo in every song, though, but at least lead melodies. The bass guitar, which is distorted, does what it's supposed to do, but no specialities. The drums are lively; no just one beat is utilized, and there are some double kick drumming here and there.

Potergeist haven't reinvented anything here, and often it ends up sounding too familiar. The title track, 'Truth', 'Atonement' (a bit softer but not wussy, and with some Kyuss style guitar playing) sound best of the bunch. The album carries entertainment value, and listening to it makes my mouth snap (maid, bring me that cold 'n' big beer!). I guess that's what it is meant for.

Rating: 6 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
09/03/2015 16:31