The band Dozer formed in 1995, hailing from Borlänge, Swedish. They were at the forefront of the first wave of European stoner/desert rock, pulling influences from American bands like Kyuss and Fu Manchu to create their own sound. Twenty-eight years later, we find them still following the path laid out by those bands while forging their own in the process. The group is preparing for their first full-length release since 2008, a spectacular album named Drifting in the Endless Void, which will be available worldwide on April 21st via the Blues Funeral Recordings label.
About The Endless Void
Consisting of 7 tracks, Drifting in the Endless Void is an album with a wonderful flow full of fuzzy riffs, incredible vocals, and the desert vibes that have been a staple of their music since their inception. There’s more than a lot to love, and instead of boring you fine readers with more descriptive words, we’re going to dive headfirst into the music!
The Tracks
“Mutation/Transformation” is the ideal way to begin an album like this. The opening riff has groove, and desert vibes in the vein of Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age, also serving as the song’s main riff. The band utilizes diverse guitar parts, all of which pay tribute to the scene that influenced Dozer when they first formed. A heavy psych vibe takes over during the section before the guitar solo, and it truly adds to how cool this song is.
“Ex-human, Now Beast” is a great way to follow the opening track. As you’ll see with the rest of the album, Dozer uses plenty of desert rock and heavy psych leanings, excellent vocal work, and a band that is completely locked in with each other. Guitarist Fredrik Nordin is also a very gifted singer who can use a varied approach throughout this record, occasionally tossing a little Chris Cornell into the mix.
“Dust For Blood” is the third track, following the groovy desert stylings that Josh Homme laid down with Queens of the Stone Age. In this writer’s opinion, it is one of the top two songs on the record, as it isn’t a carbon copy of QOTSA and shows Dozer doing what Dozer does best. I love the vocals that Fredrik put on tape here; he has a style full of variation and exhibits that in the two tracks covered so far.
“Andromeda” mixes the desert and heavy psych influences that Dozer has. The extra nice thing about this song is that it has a mellow feel while not necessarily being so. The guitar parts of Fredrik and Tommi Holappa ride the line between desert and psych, never falling to one side or the other but always contributing exactly what’s needed within the song’s context.
“No Quarter Expected, No Quarter Given” is the other of the top two tracks, and to my mind, it is the better of the two. The stomping quality of the drums in this song adds to its charm and power, pulling the listener into the world of Dozer and the power they can capture. Sebastian Olsson’s drum work is the backbone of their songs, but his playing here takes precedence while allowing the music to be the centerpiece.
“Run, Mortals, Run!” continues this album’s display of musical prowess. There are the obvious influences going on, while some of the vocals slightly reminded me of what we’d get if Josh Homme and U2’s Bono had a baby and it grew up to be better than both of its parents. While I wouldn’t give it the same esteem as I would with some of the other tracks, it does come across very well
“Missing 13” is where Dozer ends the album and is the longest song, with a total of 8 minutes and 35 seconds. The majority of this one relies on a very relaxed desert-psych feel, creating an atmosphere that allows Fredrik’s vocals room to breathe and flow. Like “Run, Mortals, Run!, this isn’t one of my top tracks, but it is still very enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
A band should be bigger than the sum of its parts, and Dozer pulls that idea off convincingly. Each member’s contributions are beyond reproach, lifting the music higher by focusing on the singular goal of creating something bigger than they are. They accomplished exactly that on Drifting in the Endless Void.
This album comes highly recommended by Nick and I, so make sure you check out their Bandcamp to hear the singles “Ex-human, Now Beast” and “Dust For Blood”; you will not be disappointed in doing so. Enjoy!!
Support Dozer by going to their official website or finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).
This review was written by Tom Hanno, who has been writing reviews for the last 7 years but has been sharing his love of music for the majority of his life. Originally starting out at the now-defunct Chimera Magazine, he is currently contributing to Doomed and Stoned, The Sleeping Shaman, The Doom Charts, Tom’s Reviews, and The Third Eye. Read more of Tom’s reviews by checking out his Linktree.
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