This Norwegian trio fuse primitive stoner-rock with raw hardcore punk and occasionally thrash, and they do it with deliciously seductive genius. This debut full-length is just over 32 minutes long but it’s intense, unpretentiously creative and relentlessly rhythmic. If Bokassa’s earlier EPs were a tad disorganised, they’ve now synthesised their style to perfection, riddled with excellent melodies, fuzzy guitar lines, deep Southern groove and hooky riffs. Last Night is immense with an ominous build-up and tumbling oldschool punk. Genocidal is classically stoner and Five Finger encapsulates all that this band do best with grizzly guitars and gigantic riffs. Meanwhile, Crocodile Dundee dials up the melodic metal and hardcore vocals with an enticing singalong. Stoner Anthem is the real masterpiece, though. It’s slow, dense, heavy, criminally hook-laden, and utterly captivating. Bokassa are carving out a hybrid genre all of their own.
Bokassa - Divide And Conquer album review
Norway’s stoner/punk renegades perfect the formula
You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
More about metal hammer
“We were heartbroken. The world had lost a big talent. But as a band we had lost much more”: The rollercoaster story of AC/DC’s Back In Black, the 50-million selling album that emerged from tragedy
“A fan said the teaser was 36 seconds long and already better than The Astonishing… another said they already knew they wouldn’t buy it. You’ve got to love that stuff”: When Dream Theater slimmed down for Distance Over Time
