Concept albums seem to be all the rage these days and I’m enjoying this trend quite a bit as I’m a big fan of them. Swedish sludge metal/doom/stoner rock band 10,000 Years has taken the concept album to the next level and are making a series of concept albums following a specific storyline. The trio unleashes their first full-length album, II, a continuation of their first self-titled EP which was released in July of 2020.
A little bit of a disclaimer to begin. Those familiar with this blog know that I don’t listen to, nor do I review anything with harsh/extreme vocals. Maybe it’s just because I’m growing into a softie in my old age (or just becoming a grumpy old fart) or that this sort of music just isn’t my cup of tea, but I was on the fence at first about reviewing this album. By no means does it go the route of extreme metal or non-stop growling/yelling, although the vocals do tend to be less traditional and there is a bit of screaming going on throughout, but not enough to make me pass up this album. And neither should you because 10,000 Years’ new record is a damn fine album that should be widely heard.
It’s the continuing story from the previous EP of an exploration vessel which goes by the name of “Albatross” and its mission to explore nearby galaxies. The musical journey tells of the ship’s first foray into space and what happens when the crew accidentally travels through a wormhole, ending up in a neighboring dimension populated by ancient gods and giant beings, ruled by the Green King. The new album picks up exactly where the EP ended. How cool is that? I won’t go into details about the storyline for II as I’ll let the listeners discover it for themselves as they sample the album. After a blistering 30-second opening instrumental, we are taken to the “Gargantuan Forest”, a slower track full of psychedelic atmosphere. Here you’ll get what I mean by the screaming aspect of the vocals. And you know what? I can’t imagine this song being sung any other way! It fits perfectly as it chugs along. “Spinosaurus” follows and picks up the pace, with strong thrash metal tendencies. “The Mooseriders” is one of my favorites, firing on all cylinders and displaying the band’s musical chops. “Angel Eyes” isn’t a ballad as one might wonder judging by its title; it’s another good cut, expanding on the band’s brand of sludge/doom/thrash metal. “March of the Ancient Queen” is a powerful song serving as a shift in the story. Track number 7, “Prehuman Walls”, is the sludgiest of the bunch and one I really dig. It leads us straight into the final song, the pièce de résistance and the strongest track of the album, in my humble opinion (definitely my favorite). “Dark Side of the Earth” starts off slow and climaxes into melodic fury, sounding epic at times, as it should, as the story comes to a close … for now. I’m sure we’ll get to hear more about the Albatross’ adventures on the next album (III perhaps?).
10,000 Years have crafted a massive, crushing album with II. The music is powerful and nothing short of remarkable. The best way I can describe this album in a nutshell is that it’s a cross between stoner icons Sleep and thrash metal legends Slayer. If you don’t mind less traditional vocals every now and then or if thrash metal/harsher sounding metal is your thing, then you’re bound to have a hell of a good time with this record.
10,000 Years’s Bandcamp page: https://10000years.bandcamp.com/
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