Dimensions EP Review

Released: Jan 31, 2006
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Modular
Number Of Tracks: 4
Wolfmother brings back that spirit the best they can but unfortunately fall a bit short.

Sound:	8
Lyrics:	7
Impression:	7
Overall rating:	7.8
Reviewer rating:	7.3
Users rating:	8.3
Votes:	3

overall: 7.3

Reviewed by: Ashland112, on december 09, 2009

Sound: Wolfmother is a band that has been described by critics and glowing fans alike as the saviours of Oz-rock. They're a mis-mashed blend of psychedelic rock and blues. The most obvious of their influences quite clearly being Led Zeppelin. Lyrically and sonically it appears the legendary band has had a profoundly large impact on this young up-and-coming Australian band. With titles Such as Tales and Witchcraft they delve into mythology which is even more evident in the album art of their self-titled album. Lead Guitarist/Vocalist Andrew Stockdale has a high-pitched, wailing scream that is a standout among vocalists in todays music scene. His guitar tone is a fuzzy neck pickup-driven distortion that presents nothing particularly astounding but does feel reminiscent of the 90's grunge distortions that were present in bands such as Mudhoney or Soundgarden. Bassist Chris Ross appears to be the standout, musicianship wise. Catchy bass lines and even catchier keyboard riffs really fill out the songs and give them that groove that many bands strive for but can't seem to grasp. Drummer Myles Heskett also provides a firm rhythm section that gives the band its backbone. // 8

Lyrics and Singing: 01. Dimension: the song opens with a howl from from Stockdale followed by a wall of sound. It feels powerful and upbeat at first but with lyrics like "I had nothing but a piece of paper." It begins to lose that initial breakthrough of energy. The song is essentially a repeat of itself. Too short a song to begin with or Stockdale found himself at a loss for lyrics so he made the first verse and the last verse the same with a minor changes, "I found temples made out of paper." The effect is basically a song with the same two halves.

02. Mind's Eye: a slow followup to dimension that doesn't disappoint sonically but lyrically we once again find Stockdale repeating himself an incredibly large amount. The keyboard solo saves the song but every other line Stockdale sings ends with Mind's Eye. Predictable rhymes and uninspiring lyrics leave much to be desired on this song.

03. Love Train: the catchiest song on the EP, Love Train is a psychedelic groove that hooks you. Clearly the most accessible of the four songs on the EP. What it lacks in lyrical content is made up for in musicianship.

04. The Earth's Rotation Around the Sun: an intriguing end to the EP with the track's title being the only line heard in the song. The song comes off as less of a song and more of a chance for the band to experiment with newfound effects in their array of toys. // 7

Impression: Wolfmother is a band that reminds us of the days when bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath were on top of the world. Psychedelic music was mainstream and people actually bought albums rather than downloading them. Wolfmother brings back that spirit the best they can but unfortunately fall a bit short. It's easy enough to see the influences it has and though it has a real lack of creativity lyrically they make up for their shortcomings with catchy riffs that keep you listening. It might not be the 60's but it's a damn good try. // 7

Comments

[danleary]

Too many assumptions in this review. Stockdale almost always uses the bridge pick up for distortion, not the neck!

How do you know that he was at a loss for words when writing dimension? Repetition is a common songwriting technique. It's admittedly a strange song, and perhaps weak lyrically, but that's because it was inspired by Hendrix' "Jesus Saves" dream.

Lack of creativity lyrically? It's weak in spots, but there are some very strong sections as well. Mind's eye predictable? How so?

[Ashland112]

It's not a strange song. Dimension is a short song repeated twice. It may be inspired by Hendrix but that doesn't make it good. There's not much technical skill in nothing but power chords and cliche lyrics.

[danleary]

Again, you are assuming things. I never said it was a good song. All I am saying is that the lyrics may seem weak because they are inspired by an acid drenched dream. Without the story behind it, the song makes no sense at all.

[Ashland112]

Either way the song remains weak whether or not you consider that the only strong lyrics in the song are the ones he quoted from Hendrix songs.

But like I said before I find the songs very catchy musicianship-wise. Obviously that would be the bands strong point rather than lyrics.

I'm a fan of the band man. There's no need to try and convince me to like them. I'm just trying to look at this as an unbiased reviewer.

[danleary]

I'm not trying to convince you to like the band. I don't consider Hendrix quotes the only strong lyrics in the song either. There is only one line in the entire song that's actually quoted. I'm not talking about quotes, I'm talking about the story of the song itself. Anyways, this Dimension thing was taken father than I intended. I just thought loss for words was a bad assumption.

[danleary]

For the record, I actually agree that overall Dimension is weak lyrically.

[Ashland112]

Well at least we agree on something haha.