LUNA SOL Drop Bombshell Heavy Stoner-Blues Rocker ‘Vita Mors’
Ladies and germs, please put your filthy hands together for the kings of the high desert heavy blues... This is LUNA SOL a band drawn from the high mountain country of Colorado and Kentucky, existing with no doubt for the pure love of rock 'n' roll. And a very specific breed of it, with a bluesy, bittersweet, and darkly-hued dive bar vibe and a warm, driving rhythmic underbelly that brings comfort to misery and has a way of lifting the spirits.
"The personal struggles and joys we’ve shared through making this album highlighted that at the end of the day life is good," says Hermano guitarist David Angstrom, who has fronted the band since 2012, "and each day is a reward that we need to cherish and take in."
'Vita Mors' (2024) is their third LP, releasing tomorrow on Ripple Music -- a big album with a big, thumping heartbeat. When I say big, I mean 13 tracks worth of stirring, soulful, foot-stomping rock, with real lyrics about real shit.
Joining the core of the band (which also includes Zeth Pedulla/drums and Doug Tackett/bass) are members of Black Stone Cherry, Kingfish, Hermano, Disengage, and Supafuzz, along with Luna Sol friends and family. There's a vibrancy about these various collaborations on tracks throughout the album that comes through from the get-go with "Black Cat Callin'" -- a stage-storming evolution of blues, soul, and rock influences spanning decades.
The genre of rock 'n' roll is proving enduring, even if it seems to go "underground" in the popular culture from time to time. Tracks like "Head in a Hole" cannot help but raise hell in any generation (you'll hear many of those friends and family in the chorus, I suspect). Luna Sol's music does the trick, thanks to a good infusion of '70s guitar-driven axe-wielding with a swampy, southern-desert twist (check out 1:52 on "Never In My Life" and the deadly riffage of "Freelance Friend").
There is some balance with the moody "Low 'n Easy," which reminds me fondly of Jerry Cantrell's Degradation Trip in its dour, grungy mix. "I've been wrong, I've been right. Some will say...I bite." The vocals are jaded and mellow throughout which is a nice contrast to the slithering rhythm, piercing tap tap of the drums, and a downtuned guitar and bass.
Speaking of downtuned, "Surrounded by Thieves" begins as an amp-worshipping gem, and you can tell the band is having fun with it, too. This may be my favorite of the record, just for how effectively pedal effects are used to shape the atmosphere of the song. The riff on this one is gnarly a.f. "Let's go drink in the sun, let's go drown in the moonlight, and live life on the run." The vocals really bring out the lyrics' rebellious intent.
"No Substitutions" is as heavy as Rage Against The Machine, but turns the guitars in a bluesier direction. The sway of the rhythm is driven and rollicking. Luna Sol play with conviction, in a way that can't help but pull you away with the tide, if you've got on a good pair of headphones especially.
There's a near 22-minute bonus track which was a refreshing capstone to what has been a hard-driving album.
Look for Luna Sol's Vita Mors releases Friday, September 20th on Ripple Music on vinyl, compact disc, and digital formats (get it here).
Stick it on a playlist with Creedence Clearwater Revival, Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, Brant Bjork, and Old Blood.
Ripple Music · Luna Sol - Vita Mors
LUNA SOL is a highly regarded high mountain stoner blues rock band led by veteran singer and lead guitarist David Angstrom, known for his work in bands such as Hermano, Asylum On The Hill, Black Cat Bone and Supafuzz. Now in its 14th year, the band is poised to deliver its finest album yet through Californian imprint Ripple Music.
To bring this vision to life, Angstrom enlisted the help of drummer Zeth Pedulla and bassist Doug Tackett. The trio's chemistry was immediate and undeniable. As the riffs began to flow, songs came to life and they decided to hit record to capture the beautiful heaviness they were creating together. From the onset, they all wanted "Vita Mors" to feel and sound live, pulling the listener into a small dive bar nestled in the mountains and filled with Marshall stacks, Les Pauls, a massive amount of drums and a wall of bass amps to shake the foundation.
"Vita Mors" highlights Angstrom's desire to evolve and explore new musical territory while staying true to his Southern Kentucky roots. Doug and Zeth create beautiful layers of fury in one breath while offering a divine delicacy in the next, a perfect foundation for Angstrom’s madness, stories, riffs and noise. It was recorded in Dave Angstrom’s home studio in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain, mixed and mastered by Jason Groves (Supafuzz/Asylum On The Hill alumni) and assisted by Ty Tabor (King’s X).
