CoC : Floodstain - Dreams Make Monsters : Review

Floodstain - _Dreams Make Monsters_
(BadMoodMan Music / Solitude Productions, 2008)
by: Quentin Kalis (8 out of 10)

Floodstain feature members of fellow Dutchmen Heavy Lord, but this is a more laid back and less, um, heavy affair with grooves indebted to desert rockers Kyuss combined with a strong dose of bluesy melancholy, most apparent on the gargantuan "You Lose Alone". But Floodstain's forte does not lie in meandering melancholia, but the performance of monstrous (ahem) and thundering riffs, from the staccato rhythm of "Stray Dogs" through to the powerful "Goddamn Monster". The production is sufficiently potent to ensure that none of the riffs misses its mark, and the only deviation from this bluesy stoner motif is acoustic closer "End of Trail", which veers towards power ballad territory. The vocalist does an adequate job, but his throaty voice is overshadowed by the guitars.

_Dreams Make Monsters_ may not be stoner rock's most essential purchase, but all the staples are present and the songs are catchy. Insufficient for it to be a classic, but still highly enjoyable and worth parting with some hard-earned euros (dollars, pula, whatever) for.

One last note: if anyone knows any song similar to "Stray Dogs", let me know. Its staccato, near waltz rhythm sounds eerily similar to something I have heard before, but I am unable to place it, and this gap is extremely frustrating. Otherwise, buy and enjoy -- but only if you only have money left over after buying the latest Heavy Lord.

Contact: http://www.floodstain.com

(article published 13/12/2008)