Italian stoner quartet Black Elephant don’t usually plough that expected furrow, instead burning with a desire that evokes a rock club night rather than the chilled vibe of the desert. Sophomore album Cosmic Blues (Small Stone), however, sets off down a spacier path, with opener ‘Cosmic Soul’ full of psychedelic swirls and wonderful lead histrionics, all underpinned by a riff reeking of engine oil. A thundering rhythm section creates a blues-boogie coda, which leads nicely into the dirty groove of ‘Helter Skelter’: Caravelli Alessio’s whiskey-soaked throat oscillating around a sultry riff which does things it shouldn’t to the ears, a sleazy solo finishing off the ecstasy.
It’s a barnstorming opening, full of old-style occult blues but with more fire and, dare one say it, sex. De Stefanis Marcello’s bass has a ‘planking’ quality that stirs the loins and when it interacts with the howling strings of brief instrumental ‘Chase Me’ it’s irresistible. Just as infectious and addictive is the rock n’ roll bluster of ‘Walking Dead’, a highly derivative yet thoroughly enjoyable romp through a pub jam session you’d pay to see every week.
The tempered rut of ‘Baby Eroina’ is as seedy as the title might suggest and is vaguely reminiscent of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, albeit with a tension that inflates the eyeballs. Here Alessio employs a screaming howl which rivals the mid-point solo before the pace hots up: bleeding urgency and a need for satisfaction, the fuzz of the reverb clouding the senses like a phial of laudanum. ‘Cosmic Blues for Solitary Moose’, meanwhile, builds on a growling riff and more emotive leads for an intense workout that maintains the pace while firing the emotions.
Closer ‘Inno’ sets out as a beefy grinder, more akin to the band’s earlier output, all ploughing riffs and an oft-quickened bedrock, which sandwiches a dreamy, light mid-section where the leadwork again dazzles and brings down the curtain in fiery fashion. Look, original this isn’t. But for those of the right sensibilities, this is heavy, rampant and downright filthy, with skilled and organic musicianship to boot.
What’s not to like?
7.0/10.0
PAUL QUINN