LP Review - 'Sermonize' by Isaak + Interview

Italian stoner-rockers Isaak are back with their latest record 'Sermonize', the follow up to 'The Longer The Beard The Harder The Sound' released in 2013. The album is being released by both Heavy Psyche Sounds on vinyl, and on CD early 2016 by Small Stone Records.

I managed to catch up with drummer Andre, and ask him a few questions about the new record...


It’s been two years since the first Isaak album - what can fans expect from the new record?

They should expect something new! We tried to merge our souls, lives and passions into this record, cause we needed to leave a message as a representation of Isaak. Sermonize fully represent us, also as a live band: it’s authentic and sincere. We can say that we are growing up, day by day, like a human being; we are evolving, our sound is evolving and we are constantly looking for new forms of expression. We are tied to our roots (the Kyuss cover is an evidence) but we love to experiment and risk on a genre, stoner rock, which sometimes could be very self-referring. This is what our beloved fans should expect: the desire to listen the same track tons of time and always find something unexpected!


The new album, Sermonize - can you tell us a bit about the choice of title?

Sermonize literally means: to preach, talk moralistically. The title is tightly connected with the lyrics of the album, which deeply sum up the personal life experience of every band member. The record speaks about loss, pain, passion, sacrifice, change and the necessity to find ourselves. We moved to a heavier sound texture, leaving (at least for this record) our lysergic stamp just to express these concept better, as a rant to the world. Curiosity: the previous title was “Prayers For The Tightrope Walker”!


How was the writing/recording process for this album, compared to 'The Longer The Beard...'? 

The writing process always start with a guitar riff brought by our riff machine Scazzi (Francesco, guitarist), then together we think about how to complete it with the proper intention; there are not such differences from “The Longer..”, basically we have different ideas and inspirations and more maturity to turn them into a more personal and harmonic style.


Richey Beckett contributed to the album artwork - how did you get to work with him?

We all are huge fans of Richey, we do love his works and we always thought about a collaboration; basically we dropped him a line proposing our idea and including some of the new tracks and he made the artwork painting, then our brother SoloMacello created the layout! That’s it!


You guys are from Genova, Italy - how is the stoner rock scene in Italy right now?

The Italian stoner rock scene is growing up strong and bearded! There are many cool bands (as JussiPussi, Humulus, Glory Owl and more) which are contributing to create the awareness that our scene is every bit as good as the American one!


What are the bands/artists that inspire you to make music in Isaak?

We all have different musical tastes and inspirations: Scazzi (Guitars) is more on Death Metal (Carcass, Slayer, Obituary), Gigi (Vocals) prefers more classic rock (Mark Lanegan, Tom Waits), Gabri (Bass) is a grunge lover (Nirvana, Pearl Jam) and Andre (Drums) is a musical whore cause everything could be his cup of tea, from post rock (Vanessa Van Basten) to hip-hop, to Beyonce or Wolves In The Throne Room. But of course we all agree when we talking about Torche, Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Baroness, Mastodon, Entombed, Screaming J Hawkins.. who wouldn’t be!


How would you convince someone who’s never heard your music to check out Sermonize?

Cause Sermonize is the album with the raddest artwork in the world! Ahahaha!


What are the band's plans for 2016? Any tours or festivals planned?

We’ll tour around Europe in March 2016 to promote the album, thanks to HeavyPsychSound; but don’t forget that on February SmallStone Records will release the cd version of Sermonize!


If you could sum up Isaak with three words, what would they be?

Well… Kyuss on steroids!!!



'Sermonize' is packed to the brim with hard-rocking bangers, perforated with grooving riffs and the distinct growls and howls of vocalist Gigi. Like a convertible cruiser in the desert, it races towards its destination with very little let-up, burning rubber all the way. Tracks like 'The Peak' and 'Almonds & Glasses', have the pedal flat down to the metal, which provide a perfect foil for the more exploratory jams like 'Lucifer's Road' and 'The Phil's Theorem'.

The desert-scene influence on Isaak is fully evident, not least with the cover of 'Yeah'! The vocals have a John Garcia laid back swagger, but the overall vibe here is less expansive and psychedelic and way more in your face, up tempo and to-the-point. And that's no bad thing, these guys know how to write a 4 minute smash and grab!

For me, this new record is a real step forward in the evolution of Isaak, having followed their progression since their former life as Ghandi's Gunn. The sound is heavier, more considered, and the song-writing steps away from Kyuss-worship enough to solidify the band's identity as their own. Also a quick mention to the awesome artwork too... such a stunning piece by Richey Beckett.

2016 could be a big year for these dudes!

Follow the band here - Bandcamp | Facebook

Album Review: Gandhi's Gunn - "The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound"

Gandhi’s Gunn is certainly the real deal. They are four Italian musicians that know how to bring it stoner style - soaked in diesel fuel, burning slowly, hotly, efficiently, with the constant deep rumbling rhythm of powerful, muscular instruments driving forward, onward, in an onrush of music and might.

Gandhi’s Gunn certainly bring the juice a second time on their full length LP, “The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound”, following on the heels of their highly acclaimed first album “Thirtyeahs”, which itself was nothing short of a stoner rock revelation, setting the foursome up with the mammoth millstone of a task to, if not top the sound of their first album, to at least match it in some way.    

“The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound” reveals and displays many strengths possessed by this stoner foursome that lend themselves readily and perfectly to a compilation bursting at the seams with delicious, toothsome tracks that are immediately recognizable as noteworthy and memorable, not only as stoner rock renditions, but as fine examples of great and prodigious rock n’ roll.     

Among the strong qualities of the band is a penchant for song writing, for structuring a song that is as enjoyable to play as it is to hear, filled with ear catching melodies, strong, rhythmic vocals, interspersed with guitar riffs, hooks, and solos that are truly the icing on the proverbial cake. They lay down such well crafted songs that you find it hard to point out a single track that is a favorite over another.

In addition to the tremendous song writing ability are the strong, dynamic instruments that create an atmosphere that pulls deeply at your imagination, immersing you into an abyss of sound where distortion and low tones surround your senses, obliterating the light of reality, and rendering upon your consciousness an enjoyment that seems to emanate from your heart while instantly connected through your aural canal, pulsating in time, radiating outward to a cervical genuflection of hair whipping frenzy, and downward to a metatarsal melee of piston pounding pleasure.


Gandhi's Gunn consist of:
Giacommo (Hobo) Boeddu on vocals
Massimo (Dale P) Perasso on bass
Francesco (Scazzi) Raimondi on guitars
Andrea Tabi de Bernardi on drums


The opening onslaught of stoner rock comes in the form of "Haywire", full of frenzy and wonderfully warped guitars driven inexorably forward by deep and powerful vocals, providing four full minutes of sweat inducing energy.


The guitar work displayed initially on the second track, "Under Siege" is both unusual and inspiring, experimental and playful in rendering a fun and unusual intro before launching into a full out stoner blitz of hard punching drums, heavy, muscular bass, and fuzz to the max guitar wrapped around full, throaty vocals of power and sinew.


The intro on "Breaking Balance" is the bass this time around, playfully setting up a stage of guitar sliding and bending perversion that seamlessly transitions into a classic stoner sound of deep, sinewy guitars, grinding and driving throughout a full and rich vocalization of melodic might, punctuated with a short but clear guitar solo.


"Flood" is a change of pace, demonstrating Gandhi's Gunn's willingness to play what they like and what sounds good to them, even if it is a departure from the norm of full and heavy instrumentation. Here we are treated to a single guitar and vocal refrain of simplicity that is powerful in its starkness before accompaniment kicks in with the slow measured additions of drums and bass, complementing the smoky, smoldering vocalization that serves as the focal point, punctuated by a louder, more forceful hook, giving way to guitar virtuosity that plays out for a pleasurable and lengthy conclusion.


A funkier rendition is executed on "Red (The Colour of God)", where the guitars play back and forth from low and fuzzy to high and playful, with an equally funky drum beat punching its way throughout, accentuated by a playful and funky bass delivery.


"Rest of the Sun" is a classic stoner track, playing out in a measured rhythm of down tuned and distorted guitars, peppered throughout with quick, staccato solos. This song is the epitome of classic stoner rock but with Gandhi's Gunn's unique take and superb delivery.


"Adrift" begins with a fun, unique guitar rendition and song structure that permeates throughout the refrain, leading into a chorus of similar structure and sound, pounding along in a slow, almost imperceptible rise toward a final delivery that is only briefly accented with an equally unique solo.


The closer is "Hypothesis", a 10 minute trippy, hippy trip of psychedelic overtones and nuances that floats along on a magic carpet of sound and wonderment, interspersing sitar-like guitar work with a fast, fun, staccato drumbeat and chanting vocalizations lending to the trippy atmosphere before merging into the signature sound of hard, heavy, muscular fuzz and distortion that floats along on the hippy winds of sound, gaining slight momentum that brings the song into a crescendo of dreamlike distortion.


Gandhi's Gunn have a quality and a knack for making music that full and rich, enjoyable and memorable, and resplendent with the best of what stoner rock offers us in a thoroughly enjoyable rock sound that is equalled by no other. "The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound" is full of quality stoner rock music and is a worthy addition to any stoner rock collection, or, for that matter, any rock n' roll collection, regardless of genre.



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