A potential gem for the Stoner lovers.

Despite an eclectic taste, there are a couple of genres that I have never got into like Death Metal which I've always found too angry and oppressive to be enjoyable. Stoner Rock is another style that I have never quite got to grips with although I couldn't give you a straight forward answer as to why. So you'll understand if I had a little trepidation about reviewing an album described as 'a melting pot of Metal, Stoner and Prog Rock' but hey, as Meatloaf once said "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad". Locus Control is a four piece instrumental band from Belgium but unlike the majority of Metal instrumentals this is not a guitar virtuoso show piece. Of course the guitars take centre stage but the usual long winding passages of fret play have been replaced with thundering riffs and dual lead solos.

With only six tracks 'Attavita' is a little short on number, but with four entries over six minutes it's just about an acceptable length. The likes of 'Six Degrees' and 'Ten To One' are full of typical Stoner progressions whilst there's some nice lead work during 'Neon'; that said its main foundation is still another thick Stoner riff. At eight minutes 'Douzaine Tranches de Vie' is a varied, and occasionally uplifting, song with some great progressions but it's still beaten by the ten minute behemoth 'Snowdon Alt. 900ft'. All I can say is hang on tight to anything you value for this one. The atmosphere is set by soft pinging notes simulating falling snow; eventually the electrics are turned on but it still continues along innocently enough as the power chords match the opening melody. It all builds in intensity until suddenly everything stops...the guitars chunter slightly then BANG...this massive chugging riff explodes and repeats over and over. It's a progression Metallica would be proud of and it flows into another effective dual lead section.

I'll admit I actually quite enjoyed this more than I expected, but it's not an album I could have on repeatedly. There are some fantastic riffs to be found but the album as a whole is a bit too heavily reliant on that Stoner sound to be a personal stand out. Although it is full of those dirty riffs, the production itself is very fresh with a crisp finish that really allows both of the guitars to come to the front. In short 'Attavita' is an album that has plenty to offer the right people; it's a potential gem for the Stoner lovers and one that might interest anyone else who fancies an instrumental album with a different slant.

Dave Scott