| Refractions | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Studio album by Lowrider | ||
| Released | February 21 2020 | |
| Recorded | 2015 - 2019 at KM Studio and XLN Studio in Sweden | |
| Genre | Stoner Rock | |
| Length | 41:33 | |
| Label | Blues Funeral Recordings, PostWax | |
| Producer | Peder Bergstrand | |
| Lowrider chronology | ||
| Ode to Io (2000) |
Refractions (2020) |
TBA (N/A) |
Refractions is the second studio album by the Swedish stoner rock band Lowrider. The band's first studio recordings since reforming 2013 and their first studio album in nearly twenty years. Initially released in secret as part of the PostWax series by Blues Funeral Recordings in 2019 and later officially released in the Winter of 2020, Refractions would attain widespread critical acclaim and top several album of the year lists.
Background[]
When Lowrider initially re-formed in 2013 for appearances at DesertFest Berlin and Desertfest London, the band originally intended for these festival appearances to be one-off appearances.[1] However the band would perform a handful of other festival appearances through 2014, later announcing that a new album was in the works in early 2015.[2] Details would slowly surface over the next few years, eventually leading up to announcing the PostWax series via Blues Funeral Recordings in November 2018.[3] On 9 December 2019 the band announced that subscribers of the PostWax series would be in for a surprise, showing off a mysterious album cover.[4] Lowrider had been announced as part of the series but to that point details were scarce, revealed that the Postwax version would be an exclusive version of the band's second album, also containing a bonus flexi featuring a 2003 demo among other bonuses.[5] On 24 January 2020 The Obelisk would premiere "Red River" from the album, along with announcing the official release date of 21 February. "Red River" had been written as far back as 2000 (and recorded in 2003) but "needed time to mature".[6] "Ol' Mule Pepe" and "Sun Devil" would be re-recorded, the former recorded for compilations for MeteorCity Records while the latter had been recorded for the compilation Where The Bad Boys Rock.
Refractions would attain widespread critical acclaim. JJ Koczan, writing for The Obelisk, discusses the challenge of matching their debut album "head on" and praising the album, stating " The album succeeds in every way in bringing Lowrider into the present and finds them indeed reflecting on the past, but refusing to lose themselves in it. As an entire generational shift has taken place in terms of audience over the last 10, let alone 20, years, Lowrider reestablish their place among heavy rock’s most momentous purveyors. If their new album is an occasion, it is one to which on every level they live up."[7] Jeff Anderson, writing for The Sludgelord, would highly praise the album, citing the whole record as amazing, "41 minutes of absolute mastery of the craft." and "Complete beauty wrapped up in 6 songs."[8] Steve Howe, writing for Outlaws of the Sun, would cite Refractions as the best stoner album to come out since The Sciences by Sleep, along with citing it as a likely contender for album of the year.[9]
Other publications that would elicit notable praise of Refractions would be among the likes of Metal Injection (10/10),[10] Blabbermouth (8.5/10),[11] Maximum Volume Music (9/10),[12] Burnt Coffee Reviews ("B")[13] and The Heavy Chronicles[14] to name a few.
Refractions would notably top several album of the year lists:
- The Doom Charts - 2020 Album of The Year (#1)[15]
- The Obelisk - 2020 Album of The Year (JJ's Pick and Readers Poll, #1)[16][17][18]
- The Heavy Chronicles - 2020 Album of The Year (#1, selected by Lord Pierro and Yannick K.)[19][20]
- Blast Forward - 2020 Album of The Year (#1, selected by Andre)[21]
- Metal Hammer UK - 2020 Album of The Year (#1, selected by Oliver Badin)[22]
- Monster Rock Blog - 2020 Album of The Year (#1)[23]
- Wormhound Blog - 2020 Album of The Year (#1)[24]
- Magnet Magazine - Best of 2020: Hard Rock (#1)[25]
- daMusic - 2020 Album of The Year (#1)
- Rock Bottom Magazine - Top 2020: Mejores Discos (#1)[26]
- Worship Metal UK - 2020 Album of The Year (#1)[27]
- Slave State - 2020 Album of The Year (#2)[28]
Tracklist[]
Track seven is exclusive to the Postwax Year 1 series.
- 1. Red River (5:11) (Ola Hellquist, Peder Bergstrand)
- 2. Ode to Ganymede (6:46) (Bergstrand)
- 3. Sernanders Krog (8:14) (Bergstrand)
- 4. Ol' Mule Pepe (5:01) (Bergstrand)
- 5. Sun Devil / M87 (4:56) (Hellquist, Bergstrand)
- 6. Pipe Rider (11:25) (Bergstrand, Anders Bergström)
- 7. Leaning Times (2003 Demo Version)
Personnel[]
- Peder Bergstrand - Bass, Guitar, Mellotron, Organ, Vocals, Artwork, Layout, Producer
- Andreas Eriksson - Drums; Engineer, Mixing (Bonus Track)
- Niclas Stålfors - Guitar
- Ola Hellquist - Guitar, Vocals
- Maarten Donders - Illustration
- Max Löffler - Illustration
- JJ Koczan - Liner Notes
- Karl Daniel Lidén - Mixing, Mastering
- Anna Ledin Wirén - Photography
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Doom Metal Front
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ The Obelisk
- ↑ The Obelisk
- ↑ The Obelisk
- ↑ The Sludgelord
- ↑ Outlaws of the Sun
- ↑ Metal Injection
- ↑ Blabbermouth
- ↑ Maximum Volume Music
- ↑ Burnt Coffee Reviews
- ↑ The Heavy Chronicles
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ The Obelisk
- ↑ The Obelisk
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Spinda Records on Instagram
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
- ↑ Lowrider Facebook
| V·T·E Lowrider | |
|---|---|
| Current Members | Ola Hellquist • Niclas Stålfors • Andreas Eriksson • Peder Bergstrand |
| Studio Albums | Ode to Io • Refractions |
| Splits | Sparzanza / Lowrider • Nebula / Lowrider |
| Associated Bands and Artists | Dozer • I Are Droid |