'Challenger' is the newest single by this band, actually an improved re-recording from a song that appeared on a previous demo. The song 'Challenger' is a very enjoyable, high-energy stoner rock song with enough power to get any party started. Catchy riffs, pounding drums and a great and raspy voice fill the room and heat up the air inside. 'Lone Wolf' is a whole lot slower but it's not really a ballad. This is just a very strong downtempo stoner rock song. These two songs are very good examples of what this band sounds like today and they surely make me hungry for more.
The full-length 'Supernova' was the official debut for this trio, filled with groovy riffs and a whole lot of fuzz. Musically, they can stand next to bands like Truckfighters or Fu Mancho but judging from this album, they still had a long way to go. The album opens with solid rocker 'Dressed In Black', a high energy rock song that could stand perfectly on any Desert-fest like stage. 'Escape From Planet Earth' brings more stoner goodness with excellent vocals. I actually like these vocals a lot more than the ones in many other bands.
'Animal Eyes' makes me doubt a little. On one hand it's a slow song that sounds like it's written in the very beginning of the band's history but by the end it becomes a great psychedelic anthem. This is a feeling I have with several songs on this album. Though it's really good and highly enjoyable, they show a band that still has to evolve and grow into their own sound. Roughly I could say that these are quite generic stoner rock songs with a flash of genius shining through sometimes.
That being said, don't think that 'Supernova' is a bad album, not at all. 'Vultures' is an excellent song that shows a more than decent knowledge in songwriting. 'Poor Lonely Joe' shows the blues side of Elephant Riders and is quite a beautiful song. 'The End Of The Road' is an immense vintage hard rock ballad. So there's a lot of capacity in this band, a lot more than 'Supernova' shows. Like I said in the 'Challenger' part of this review, Elephant Riders is growing and evolving. I hope they're writing new songs and if they are, I'm quite curious about them...
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