CAMEL DRIVER Self Titled Album Review.

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Words El Jefe.

Camel Driver are an instrumental three piece stoner band from Kiel in Germany. Their stock in trade are slightly trippy, stoner jams, with some intricate bass playing and drumming.

Ballsy riffs, mixed with some tight stoner guitar that has a distinct jazzy feel to quieter moments make up a lot of what they play. Intricate guitar lines interspersed with big chords tap into a pure vein of rock and roll to combine with the complex drum patterns and basslines that keep the show rolling. The proficiency on display here is impressive, and on the whole, this unit has an enough talent and inspiration to keep the listeners attention without the benefit of us having vocals and lyrics to hang on to. I really dig the record cover too, with its obvious reference to the art from the film version of Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.

Minor Clause opens this self titled LP, with a manic, biting intro riff and choppy rhythm and winds its way through to the punchy Morricone-meets-bulldozer track, Wedding, the pick of the litter for my money.

Talus is a cool ’70s rock number, with lots of guts and energy. Devils Marbles is up next and proof that a great thing about instrumentals is that you can call it whatever the fuck you want.

The guitar intro for Heraklion reminds me a bit of Sonic Youth with its slight dissonance before Camel Driver slam it into overdrive for a wild ride through the desert night. The name sums up the next track completely; Party Ogre.

Comparisons to stoner instrumental legends Karma To Burn may seem a bit too obvious, but Camel Driver are definitely travelling much of the same road, although occasionally swerving off on the gentler side roads, and showing us just how universal a language music can be. Camel Driver hit pretty much all the right notes for me, and I’d give this lp about 8 1⁄2 boulders out of 10.

Camel Driver’s self titled LP is available now through Pink Tank Records.