boWsER is a band from the Gold Coast of Australia. You could describe the band in any number of ways, but all of those ways would include the word rock. It is a rock band with some bits of metal, psychedelic, and groovy heavy rock.
The band’s new album Whispers from the Wicker Man has been a long time coming. Of the album, bassist Otto Miller said, “This album means more to us than we can possibly express. It is so good to finally know that all those years of hard work, triumphs and failures, elation and devastation are finally going to be shared with the world.”
From the opening notes of “Renegade”, you get a good idea of what this band is all about. The melody is very guitar heavy, but if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the bass line is prominent too. It has the feel of a 70s groove rock song.
A couple songs on the album bring to mind another Australian band: Datura4. “Chemicals” and ”Animals” are two good examples. Both songs have some psychedelia in the melody and vocals that are reminiscent of Datura4. Granted, both songs are a little more aggressive than Datura4, but still have some similarities. “Chemicals” has some serious psychedelia in the guitar while the bass line follows more of a funk sound.
Another aspect of this band’s sound is comparable to bands like Papa Roach. You can hear it in both the vocals and the staccato blasts of the guitar in “Count Static”. In fact, when you hear this song, it’s easy to imagine this band playing something like the Family Values Tour back in the day.
As you listen to the album, it becomes apparent that this band must be really good live. They play with an aggression and a volume that is sure to get the audience to form a circle pit. “Wicker Man” would be a particularly good song for fans that want to mix it up in a pit. It also becomes apparent that this band would fit well on a bill supporting a band like Clutch.
This is a band that keeps you guessing. While it’s true that every song is a rock song, each one has its own different twist. One thing is for sure. This is an album that begs to be played as loud as you can stand it. It’s even better if you can blare it out of a window so everyone around you can rock out too.
