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'Lost'

(Sliptrick records CD)










MARK: 80/100




 
  For those who don't have knowledge of Roof Down, neither the logo, nor the front and back cover can give a hint of the genre they play. In this fourth manifesto released two years after the band's 4-song EP dated 2017, the Swedes keep on varing from Stoner Metal and Grunge Rock without hesitation using lyrics that deal with feelings hard to dominate and tricky relationships.
Recorded, mixed and mastered at SweSoundStudios, the new offering sounds better than the average for today's standards, solid with the rhythmic section pointed out, whereas the artwork was completely digitally executed, with a uniform style from the front cover to the back one, to the inside one, to the disc itself. The four guys represented on that are probably the four musicians themselves as the inside booklet shows pictures of four individuals respectively. The booklet is made of only four pages and the inner part repeats the fromt cover without the logo or the title. The disk contains the title and the song titles; in the back cover the four characters are in the same position as in the front but they are all black and inside are the song titles. Lastly, the album title shows the four letters as a parody of the symbols of some currencies.



 






 


All the songs are not long and not hard to grasp, just as the starter "Lying" blends Stoner Metal riffs with Grungy vocals, counting on a refrain that works, moves immediately and a couple of brief guitar solos. Being chosen as a single before the album was out, it is accompanied by an official video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbUm8z1zzZQ
Followed by "Corrosion", a slow and hypnotic Groove Metal tune where bass plays a vital role as much as the guitar player's refined strokes.
Almost a nursery rhyme recurring to a semi-distorted guitar, "On and on" strongly reminds me of Pearl Jam thanks to its sticky melodies, while "Sober" is still on the Pearl Jam area but softer and more bucolic. There is also a martial break before the refrain returns along with a few guitar licks. What makes the composition even more interesting and timeless appears to be the fact that the two guitars have different sounds and plots coming out separately from the speakers, and one of them is closer to Country Rock. Because of all these reasons, this fourth track is to me the peak of the record hands down.
"Not for Sale" begins with a killer Metal riff, then veers towards Modern Metal, supported by an irresistible hook making this composition another highlight of "Lost" . Penetrating keyboard touches in the refrain make me think of an uncredited guest playing this fifth instrument.
A bit of different from the rest of the material, "I'll Be Gone" conisists of Alternative Metal tinted with depressive vocals, which are particularly heartfelt and touching at the same time. They are also vaguely reminiscent of the latest Ozzy Osbourne blent with the most dramatic Chris Cornell's shouts on many occasions when the singer sings high and is slightly reverberated. The axe solo is short again, but soaked in sadness.
"Give Me A Line" is a hybrid between Alice In Chains and Soundgarden; it features a concise Sleazy Rock guitar solo and some effected vocals during the angelic interruption preceding the finale.
I can definitely hear Down's influences in the comparatively long title track, while as far as the guitar solo is concerned, it is imbued with psychedelic sounds that were in fashion in the 70s. This marvellous work on the six string is my favourite solo of the album.
"You and I" is another piece that convinces about its quality right from the first listen without any efforts; besides its Pop Punk framework it is able to surprise through an instrumental intermezzo alà Placebo meets Blur, whereas "Thank You (For Life)" is based on a ballad-like beginning; later on, it becomes closer to the more rural Pearl Jam with a touch of keyboards in the background that contribute in relaxing the listener.

All of the songs are reduced to the bone, lacking intros or outros; they are easy and repeat the choruses just as long as it is needed with a medium length under 3 minutes; everything is made under the sign of excellent songwriting due to the experience the quartet owns and the alchemy created after several years of playing together without line-up changes.
Any stuff from this Swedish act could be joy to the ears of fans of Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Creed, 3 Doors Down, Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden, Audioslave, NickelBack, Coheed And Cambria, Seether, the same combos that inspired Roof Down, who are, however, no clones at all.
Let's be clear: this third full-length from the Stockholmers is very, very good from beginning to end, superior to all of their previous stuff. And this is not a cliche the guys said in an interview, it's something I realized myself by comparing the new songs with the old ones.

 


  MARKUS GANZHERRLICH - 12 June, 2020
 




















Tracklist:

01. Lying
02. Corrosion
03. On and on
04. Sober
05. Not for Sale
06. I'll Be Gone
07. Give Me A Line
08. Lost
09. You and I
10. Thank You (for Life)






Discography:

-Commercial (CD - 2013)
-Close Shave (CD - 2015)
-Grunge Pro Bono (EP - 2017)
-Lost (CD - 2019)






Line-up on this record:

Johan Sjöberg - v. (ex-Stonesilk)
Mats Stille - g.
Thobbe Hernansen - b.
Staffan Westelius - d.



Contacts:
Stockholm - S
E-mail: roofdown.band@gmail.com




Official sites:
http://roofdown.se/
https://www.facebook.com/roofdown