Grooves From The Desert...

Saturna - Saturna (2016)
 

Hailing from Barcelona, Saturna mix groovy desert rock riffage with trancy, trippy heaviness to excellent effect.  There's not a lot of fault here - the vocals are delivered with such gusto and passion that it's hard not to enjoy them, the rhythm section gives the songs a rock-steady basis, and the riffs in particular are excellent.  Throw into the mix some genuinely very good guitar solos and you end up with a recipe for some damn good heavy rock.

Saturna balance straight-up heavy retro rock with a deeper, darker underbelly that often threatens to spill over into the music but rarely does.  This psychedelic undercurrent gives the songs a sense of creative friction and elevates them to something more than the sum of their already very good parts.

If comparisons had to be made, the heavy stoner and desert rock of the '90s comes to mind more than the often tighter, more regimented riff rock of the '70s - though there's certainly an element of that.  Saturna have influences - certainly - but on this album, that's just what they are; influences.  There are clearly reference points here (the scuzzy desert-doom of Kyuss, for example) but Saturna never feel derivative, which is refreshing and actually somewhat unusual.

In their self-titled album, Saturna have proved themselves to be a stoner rock band well worth watching.  This is an album of well-made and well-played heavy rock that really can't argued with.  The songs never feel simplistic, and more melodic songs like "Leave It All" give some lighter, but still rocking, relief from the more raucous moments.  This is an album that should be given a good chance if you enjoy heavy desert rock.

~ Martin

For fans of; Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Truckfighters, Karma To Burn, Samsara Blues Experiment

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Saturna - Birds In Cages (320 kpbs)

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Retro Rockin' Spaniards...

Saturna ~ IGNIS (2013)

Saturna is a heavy rock band from Spain, a 5 piece that plays loud, ass kicking rock and roll straight out of the '70s, part of that Retro Rock movement we're all so fond of. This is their second offering for us, and every track is heavy as hell straight up rock. There's a ton of good ole' fashioned Sabbath worship going on here, and it's a good thing, no, a great thing. And it would seem just as you're really digging the Sabbath vibe, you're hit with a dose of Southern Rock, fried, dyed, and laid to the side.
The first of the standout tracks for me is "Sonic Keys", it starts off as a straight up rock and roll song, a real crunchy kind of riff and a real deep rooted Southern Rock tinge in the second half of the track, you don't even expect the change, but it works perfectly. The next track to really catch my attention is called "Beside a Dying Star", and it's nothing like the first song I mentioned. This is much slower, in the vein of early Doom Metal, between the guitar tone and the way some of the vocals are belted out, it reminded me of Pentagram quite a bit. One of the last tracks on the album is called "Science and Transformation", it pretty much hit every mark for what a great rock song should be, awesome guitar tone, pounding drums, a real groovy bass line wedged back in there with the drums, even has some shouted, hardcore style vocals towards the end.
This being my first run in with this group, I have to say they've made a brand new fan. From beginning to end, the whole album is just an awesome rock record, well worth running on over to their Bandcamp and checking out. It says that it was released on Nov. 25th, and there's no buy option yet (except track by track it looks like), but you can give the whole album a listen right there on their page. I'll be heading that way to pick up their first release "The Kingdom of Spirit".
~ Skip

For Fans Of; Black Sabbath, Orchid, Pentagram, Witchcraft, Graveyard

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Trip Back To The Old School...

Saturna - The Kingdom Of Spirit (2012)

It's been a while since we've been sent anything on the more retro side and I don't know about you lot but I for one have really missed it. Luckily the Spanish dirt rock quintet Saturna have come to the rescue with some sweet 70's inspired rockin'. Trust me when I say 'sweet', because this little beauty of an album is so crammed full of retro riffs and dirty fuzz that it may just make your head explode! But thats the byproduct of a decade of knocking around in different outfits before settling down under one name and pooling the collective talent... and boy does that show. Like a blitz of late Sabbath, (incorporating that early doom sound and classic rock drive) and elements of modern day prog like Serpent Throne or Dozer. On the whole it's makes for a pretty down tempo affair but with a strange aura of up beat melancholy... If that makes any sense what so ever? Think of it as doom but with bucket loads of enthusiasm behind it. Either way I can pretty much guarantee that you're gonna love it! Give them a try and please hit up the guys various sites for more info and details on where to pick up a physical copy of the album and show some love. I believe its out now on Seven Snakes Records.

For Fans Of; Black Sabbath, Graveyard, Orchid, Tucky Buzzard, The Falwoods

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The Kingdom Of Spirit (320kbps)