OLD SPIRIT “Old Spirit”

By Theron Moore

OLD SPIRIT, the band and the record. is a trip. It’s a helluva wild ride, that’s for sure. OLD SPIRIT is Jason Hartman, the guitarist extraordinaire for Svart recording artists VANISHING KIDS and a frequent collaborator with JEX THOTH. OLD SPIRIT is hard rock and metal with no fear of coloring outside the lines and experimenting with heaviness and sound. But let’s be clear, this isn’t experimental, which can sometimes be a dirty word in metal; OLD SPIRIT is freeform in how hard rock and metal can be interpreted when there are no genre boundaries. This isn’t glam, this isn’t thrash, this is metal in its purest form.

Hartman’s vocals have a back and forth Jack Bruce / KING DIAMOND essence about them – trust me, it works – adding to the uniqueness of the music which ranges from guitar god soloing and mega riffing to arrangements that are slightly more stripped down. What brings it all together is Hartman’s wall of distortion which once it kicks in, reminds you what hard rock and metal are all about: Volume, crunch, and heaviness.

“Cave,” calls forth memories of CELTIC FROST seen through a lens of heavy/psyche daze. Think Into the Pandemonium with a heavier, acid tinged interpretation. “Feel The Stars,” has a — and be forewarned here –a Ted Nugent (think “Stranglehold”) meets Steve Miller (“Fly Like An Eagle”) vibe and per the song title, it does carry an otherworldly, dreamy feel to it. This particular track is a tapestry of music with different sounds and styles sewn into it which give it an epic, almost soaring quality.

I won’t give you a blow by blow description of each song, but OLD SPIRIT is a super cool record that does rock N roll proud, and true to form, delivers the hard and the heavy in a hundred different ways never revisiting the same territory twice. Everything from FROST, to 90’s alt metal, to a hybrid of heavy-rock-daze, gets its moment in the sun on this album. “Old Spirit” is a one of a kind record I don’t think I’ve heard before; it’s quirky, it’s heavy, and from a sonic perspective, it keeps you connected. Check this record out and buy it.

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OLD SPIRIT