Review Summary: You feel so unarmed when the smoke has cleared.
Formed in 1995, Dozer, (f.k.a Karl for Dozer) hailing from Borlänge, Sweden have employed an accessible stoner/hard rock hybrid ever since their debut
In the Tail of a Comet (2000), juxtaposing typical, heavily emphasized stoner rock distortion with light, bluesy sections and tinges of psychedelia, as seen in tracks such as "Speeder" and "Inside the Falcon". Although this wasn’t an entirely new or groundbreaking idea, as their sound during this point in time was analogized to the likes of Kyuss, Sleep, and genre forefathers Black Sabbath, it did produce a pleasant range of dynamics, keeping listeners on their toes as they ventured through a fuzzy, gritty roller-coaster. After the releases of their 2nd and 3rd albums,
Madre de Dios (2001) and
Call it Conspiracy (2003), Dozer had clearly shown that they had the potential to offer something great to the genre in the 21st century, although comparisons to their genre peers may still be bound.
Through the Eyes of Heathens features an urgent opener in "Drawing Dead", in which the listener is instantly kicked in the face with pounding drums and an appealing riff. It must be noted that Daniell Liden, a consistent member of Dozer and the drummer for the band, does a remarkable job and creating some relatively interesting and enjoyable drum patterns, and is an absolute highlight of the album. The opening riff cycles around and around before being drenched in a deep wah, which instead of being obnoxious manages to fit in rather well and doesn’t overstay its welcome whatsoever. The chorus is simple and has a definite sing-along factor, with most of the lyrics here featuring repeating vocal melodies which stick in your head like honey on bees. Some fitting blues-tinged soloing is featured before the chorus invites the listener to sing along once more, and then closes by bringing back the opening riff, broken down to a degree in order to elicit a heavy groove, and to welcome some slow head banging. Before you even know it, this four-and-a-half-minute opening track is over, and it may be found tempting to give it a listen just one more time.
"Until Man Exists No More", featuring guest vocals by Troy Sanders of Mastodon, doesn’t open with a sprint as the listener may be prepared for at this point of the album, but instead features over a minute of haunting, droning instrumentals and ambiance. After this, the opening riff kicks in alongside the continuously solid drum work. Excluding the chorus and the final verse, in which Troy Sanders provides his vocals for to great effect, the vocals are only accompanied by high-hat and snare; a rather suitable decision by Dozer, as this complements the emptiness and hopelessness expressed in the lyrics. “This might make me strong; I’ll grow weak in the end. Determined to wear me down, they cannot wait to begin.”
The closer, "Big Sky Theory", is arguably the most popular song released by Dozer, and it’s rather easy to see why. "Big Sky Theory" is grand yet ethereal, heavy yet graceful; a bona fide, ready-made arena rock song. Its capability to captivate a mainstream audience doesn’t come as a detriment to the ambition of the band whatsoever; the inclusion of this song alone could be considered rather ambitious, as Dozer are treading uncharted waters but are absolutely knocking it out of the park in the process. However, this song could be somewhat deceptive to new listeners, as it isn’t an accurate depiction of their tried and true stoner grit. Having the longest, most baronial song on the album as the closer truly serves as a concrete stamp of finality; an unexpected, yet pleasantly surprising, fitting, and welcome end to
Through the Eyes of Heathens.
To conclude, the release of
Through the Eyes of Heathens shows Dozer truly offering not only avid stoner rock fans a fresh, worthwhile listen, but something fans of the broad spectrum of rock could use as a gateway to the harsher tones of the genre. The head-nodding riffs, solid drum-work and catchy choruses of "Drawing Dead" and "Born a Legend" lead up to the comparatively heavy, in your face, albeit rather short "From Fire Fell", which then leads back to the straight-up hard rock track "Until Man Exists No More" and the anthemic "Days of Future Past"; Dozer manage to blend these styles without it being dizzying or coming across as directionless. With this, Dozer truly show that they can throw in different influences and small nuances to augment their sound without it coming across as forced or ham-fisted. Trying to find a negative in this album, it must be said that some of the songs on the latter half aren’t as memorable as the no nonsense opening three, but they do not give an aura of a lack of inspiration and are still solid songs in their own right, especially the phenomenal closer. If you enjoy stoner rock that explores differing horizons,
Through the Eyes of Heathens cannot be recommended enough.
Personnel:
Frederik Nordin: Vocals and Guitar
Tommi Holappa: Lead Guitar
Johan Rockner: Bass Guitar
Daniell Liden: Drums
