Barbarian Hermit return with their second full length album. They’re here to bludgeon with their razor sharp riffs and tight to the nail tunes.
Release Date: Available Now
Label: APF Records
Format: CD / Vinyl / Digital
MEAN SUGAR
What a great name for an album. Barbarian Hermit have never been a band to cower in the shadows. Their music is bold, brash and stands out in the crowd. The neon pink vinyl variant of Mean Sugar may look sweet like its’ title, but the music paints a different picture.
Opening up the album is the title track. When the band all kick in together, they produce an irresistable sound. Riffs build and build as ‘Mean Sugar’ is shouted by Simon Scarlett on vocals. Vocally, you’d pitch Scarlett somewhere on the spectrum between Conan and Mastadon with a bit of Red Fang thrown in.
Pepper Keenan is a clear reference point for guitarists Mike Regan and Adam Robertshaw. Their work on Mean Sugar (on the whole) is top class. Rob Sutcliffe (bass) and Gareth Manning (drums) hold the band together with a rhythm section that can switch up tempos in a heartbeat.
Picture: Jay Massie
WHO PUT 50P IN YOU?
For all the signposts, Barbarian Hermit tread their own path. Who Put 50p In You? is a swinging slow jam to begin with, but the tempo incrementally increases with each passing verse. As a title, it is brilliant, but as a song it is even better. It builds emphatically and the payoff is exhilarating (even including seeming handclaps!)
Stitched Up contains a really evocative middle section with calmer melodies atop a bass line that rolls around. Scarlett stills brings the cutting edge with his vocals as it leads into a crushing final strait. This one could be a real intense experience in the live arena.
To close, Heal The Tyrant works its epic magic. At just over seven and a half minutes, it traverses many obstacles. A bass and drum intro is hypnotic and psychedelic. Subtle synths and guitar melodies are added into the mix before choral style vocals are brought in. The complete trip is well worth your time. In true Barbarian Hermit style, the tempos shift, guitars soar, and vocals cut like a knife.
Mean Sugar is a great addition to a burgeoning discography. If you are a fan of Corrosion Of Conformity, Orange Goblin, Kyuss, Boss Keloid, Green Lung etc, then this album, and more importantly, this band, are for you. A few tastes of their sweetness and you will be hooked.
Check out Barbarian Hermit discussing The Prodigy in our Why I Love column here.
Below, you can watch the official video for title track of the album.
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