Thermate – Black Desert Highway

Thermate – Black Desert Highway

Self released – 2017

Rock, Hard, Stoner, Seventies

Rated: *****

We’ve been hooked on whatever the Finnish quintet Thermate bring forth since they came out swinging with their November EP released in 2014. The mini-album Off To Hades, came out in 2016, and was a gigantic leap forward. And we welcomed a holiday together with the guys in purgatory. High powered diesel blues, with enough proto revelations and stoner incantations to have you jumping on the back of their truck towards Hades without ever looking back. So there you are, on the Black Desert Highway speeding towards something wicked and thunderous. Cause the cats have outdone themselves again. A fine intro and outro serve as two devious bookends to a tall tale filled with gritty riffs, stoner grooves and hefty nods towards everything proto. Hypnotizing in its trucking rhythms and enchanting with its solos and guitar colors. The vocals stand tall, powerful, clean and evocative, they produce the right amount of enchantment on this devilish trip. Yes, Thermate have delivered a righteous album and one that will serve as the perfect soundtrack for a road trip on the Black Desert Highway…

(Written by JK)

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Thermate – Off To Hades

Thermate – Off To Hades

Self released – 2016

Rock, Stoner, Proto, Seventies, Metal, Blues

Rated: ****

After a few more alternative and stoner rock oriented EP’s like for instance the one titled November, which we mentioned back in 2014. The Finnish quintet Thermate evolved into something with more proto and seventies inspired aspects. And so we are now treated to a new mini-album called Off To Hades. A well rounded trip through the netherworld with grating riffs and stomping drums. They remind us, in some way, of that obscure and enigmatic diesel blues, there it is again, diesel blues, band Ventilators (without ‘The’ in front) from the Netherlands. (Grin.) Motoring towards a foggy horizon drunk and full of grit. Just like those Dutch freaks. But where those guys opted for concise shorter blues rock ditties, Thermate moves more towards something with a metal edge, grander gestures and wilder ideas. Shit, we just noticed that we mentioned the diesel blues aspect in that earlier mention about November as well. Well, I guess we were as right then as we are now, with the added fact that Thermate is bigger, better and ready to conquer the world and the underworld. They’re Off To Hades and I for one am going with them!

(Written by JK)

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Thermate – November

Thermate – November

Self released – 2014

Rock, Stoner, Alternative

Rated: ***

Kuopio, Finland. Home to a damn fine rock festival and the five-piece Thermate. Who have just released their second EP called November. Formed in 2011 the band has slowly grown into its present form. With these new three tracks they display a certain love for nineties alternative and seminal stoner. But there is something else in there. Something resembling diesel blues. With the highly open aired guitars that sound classic and wild on occasion and highly fuzzy and filled with warm winded desert air the next. For the most part they display a highly laidback attitude which they use as the steady base upon which the guitar is allowed to take you away on a soaring ride through the clouds. Green clouds, with tiny specks of doom and heavy outbursts. Thermate is tasty!

(Written by JK)

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