In their own words, Risin Sabotage are a “Ukranian psychedelic stoner rock band from Kyiv”… their nationality and home city are enough to make me want to love them but, politics aside, how do they stack up against their peers?
Well, if you go back to late 2015 and the splendid ‘Boundless Void’ you will think Sabbath with a hint of Budgie and revel in the ten-minute debut. Fast forward to 2023 and they have a new album out called Macabre. Igor Nedyuzhiy (drums/vocals), Vitya Panchishko (guitar/vocals) and Valerii Skorzhenko (bass) still display those influences remain but the band have matured into a solid entity with their own identity. Take the title track, a heavy rock-based song with some prog/psyche/doom influences that coalesce nicely and, I make no apology in repeating the bands summary… ”is a track that fully conveys our present, and as long as our country has been shrouded in war, every day can be the last. Macabre is a dance of death in which the final result is always the same.” A visit to their Bandcamp site also has a link to support their countrymen and women.
Elsewhere, the opener ‘Abundance’ shows how they combine various genres including a genius psyche-y guitar solo and make it all work. (Their knowledge and use of English is admirable especially as I am a pit yacker and can barely speak it myself!)
‘Serpent’ is a sub-three-minute rock/punk master-class. ‘Circus’ brings proggy time signatures melded with Sabbathian riffs. ‘Forswear’ is my favourite as it blends grunge/blues/rock so cleverly and is also catchy as hell, before going slow, doomy and errr, catchy!
Bearing in mind these compositions began during the pandemic and were completed during the inexplicable conflict, they are to be admired for their dedication as well as their music. This is an album that needs a few listens to acclimatise to Risin Sabotage’s simple complexities… patience is rewarded by so many disparate elements to enjoy and to answer my own question, they are better than a multitude of ‘recognised’ bands out there.
Macabre is out on 2nd June 2023.
