The heavy stoner-psych powerhouse of Robot God has just returned with their “Valleys of Primordia”. Merely a year and a half after their excellent debut “Silver Buddha Dreaming”, the Australians deliver a masterclass of heaviness, with a tone that will make your speakers breathe new life. Two songs, with a length of ten minutes each, completing one another on this short but most enjoyable ride through the “Valleys of Primordia”.
The album opens with the self-titled song, and a heavily fuzzed bass takes the wheel to drive your mind into the “Valleys of Primordia”. Perhaps one of the most characteristic bass line entrances that I have heard in quite some time, in the vein of Tuber’s brilliant “Firebird”. A combination of super cool grooves and guitar melodies follows, where the song literally waltzes into a fuzz fest of heaviness. Midway, the guitar weaves a mellow tune that can stick in your brain for days. Towards the end, the song dives back into the river of heavy fuzz that runs through the “Valleys of Primordia”.
Rather that simply being the second song, “Burn the Sun” opens a new chapter in the album. Taking off with a hypnotic eastern melody, a tight rhythm section and space synth sounds, the perfect background is created for the etherial vocals to enter and culminate in a vortex of incantations to “Burn the Sun”. The guitar again works wonders, with a melody that takes you by the hand, and carries you all the way towards the end of the journey, where it smashes your face against a riff that weighs megatons.
In all, Robot God’s new album sounds as if designed to leave you wanting for more. While short in duration, with each listen a new layer is peeled, and it takes you to new places. Sound-wise, it is a few steps up from their already amazing debut and will certainly make an excellent vinyl release. Although too early, I won’t be surprised if the “Valleys of Primordia” finds itself in many end-of-year lists for 2022. A riff-fest that you cannot afford to miss, so dig in!
Words by Ioannis Valiakos
Desert Vulture 