On a cursory expedition into Tündra, the comparisons to rock’s greats arrive in a thick flurry of recognition – the doom of Black Sabbath clashing beautifully with Ronny Jønsson’s powerful, Chris Cornell-like vocals on opener Battering Ram, the fat groove of Kyuss raising its head on The Call, the pained, soulful darkness of Alice In Chains filtering down through Cripplegate.
And yet Copenhagen’s Black Book Lodge are so much more than the sum of their influences. For all their exquisite heaviness, the band have a deft way with a melody, a swagger and roll that drags them up by their gloomy, grungy roots to reveal something brighter, especially as Pendulum explodes into a sunburst of a guitar solo.
As a result, Tündra becomes an unexpectedly uplifting experience. Black Book Lodge have nailed it with this excellent debut album.
