Mudbreeder (B) / Dozer (SWE); Paradox, Leuven; December 9th (Guy Peters)
CONCERT REVIEW
Swedish volume dealers Dozer are apparently in love with living on the road, as touring seems
to be all they’ve done the past few years. The peak of their career so far was probably a support slot for
Mastodon during February and March of this year and it seems that hanging around the underground’s metal
moguls has left somewhat of an influence on them, as the songs that I heard from Through the Eyes of
Heathens has them moving further away from the rather traditional desert rock direction they pursued a
few years ago. Instead, the band incorporates more melody and metal aggression into their music.
By result, their most accessible songs remind you of a more muscular Audioslave, while the heavier ones
bring them closer to their American brethren. Even though it’s a bit of a pity they’re from Sweden and
therefore sentenced to a life in the underground (I’m pretty sure their album sales would be much higher
if they were an American band), it’s on small stages that they deliver the truly memorable shows. I have
no doubt whatsoever that the experience with Mastodon was a fruitful one, and I witnessed their dedication
when I saw them open for that band earlier this year, but anyone could see the band felt much more
comfortable in this smaller venue.
Another advantage of seeing this band in more intimate setting: sound. Their previous album
Call It Conspiracy had the band branching out beyond the led-heavy stoner grooves of their earliest
work, yet it seems these guys need to be equipped with an in-your-face aural assault for full impact. When
the powerhouse drumming of Daniel Lidén, the bass rumbling of Johan Rockner and guitar bombings of
Fredrik Nordin and, especially, Tommi Holappa all lock together, that’s when you understand how the
latter can freak out like he does, throwing his body all over the stage, nearly banging his head off while
attempting to crush your skull with his crunching riffs. The intricacies of the songs might get lost, but
the primal energy boost you get instead is one hell of a thrill. From the first to the last minute (which
came a bit earlier than planned because of the cops’ visit to the place), the band displayed an almost
manic intensity, turning their performance into an impressive showcase for their prowess as a live band.
“The Hills Have Eyes” would trudge all over its studio counterpart, “Rising” was enthusiastically received
by a crowd that howled along to the chorus and new song “Until Man Exists No More,” with Rockner filling
in for Mastodon’s Troy Sanders, who appears on the album version, is destined to become a highlight on
their next album.
The set was fairly brief (well, a bit less than an hour), but there was an extended encore, which was for
the most part taken up by a gargantuan “Riding the Machine” with an extended jam that proved drummer
Lidén is barely able to restrain himself. Rarely has a band been blessed with such a dexterous drummer,
one who will not be satisfied with what a standard drummer would come up with (and occasionally I did wish
he’d hold back once in a while – I get exhausted just seeing the guy play). The end result: a damn fine,
down-to-earth performance by one of the genre’s most reliable live acts.
Check out
www.guypetersreviews.com
I’m getting a knack for arriving (too) late at concerts lately, so I missed a part of Mudbreeder’s set.
The trio consists of three guys in their early twenties who’ve been listening to fuzzed-out desert rock and
progressive instro-metal, while also incorporating elements from more cerebral sub-genres, as several of
their songs are dominated by nearly trance-like instrumental passages favoring unpredictable flow over
flat-out force. The singer’s high-pitched voice occasionally recalls The Mars Volta’s theatrical drama,
but the band as a whole opts for a much more low-key approach, resulting in an odd twist on stonerrock
that didn’t sound bad at all.