Sweat Lodge’s debut seven-inch in 2010 kickstarted a heap of excitement and the long wait for a full-length.
Talismana shines with polished hooks, gorgeous melodies and a crunch that’s missing in most modern-day psychedelic rock. The young Texans know their way around a tune and frontman Cody Johnston’s voice is a fuzzed-out, harmonious treat.
Tramplifier begins proceedings on riffs and licks from days of yore, but with an edge that marks it as something new and interesting. NWOBHM inflections sit comfortably against groove-filled passages and contemporary breaks peek through the nebulous guitars of Slow Burn.
The track twists around the sound that Johnston allows to echo through murky passages that burst into galloping pace in the blink of an eye, before slowing down and taking in more blissful turns during the title track. Talismana is an exciting debut –Sweat Lodge have entered into a genre that’s as strong now as it was 30 years ago and the only way for them is up.
