Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
Finland’s TARPIT ORCHESTRA returns to the stoner/hard rock radar with their newly-released three-song EP, “Songs About Dragons“.
The latest offering from the quartet – Antti Pikkarainen (vocals), Toni Tervonen (guitars), Teppo Luosujärvi (bass), and Toni Kaattari (drums) – follows a string of previously issued albums. Those recordings, ones such as “Low ‘N Heavy Blues & Tar Stained Tunes” (2009), “No Train No Gain” (2010), and “Damn Music” (2017), served well in establishing TARPIT ORCHESTRA as a rising act to watch out for.
That well-deserved call for attention is again validated with the ‘Songs About Dragons‘ EP, too. Doing what they do best, which is emit great tunes constructed of heavy riffs, substantial grooves, solid rhythms, and powerful vocals, things get started here with the simmering “Dues“.
The song’s chunky guitars are offset by its slower tempo. Its gradual advance allows for plenty of heavy swaggers to step up within the recesses of the song. It stays this way while those guitars escalate, gaining in presence until a wall of riffs is bleeding their way forth.
With an injection of electrified aural octane, the “Songs About Dragons” title track arrives and goes for the throat. Riffing and ripping its way forth, the more rapid timing and rhythms relay a sense of urgency within the song. That sensation increases at times, especially in a mid-song dive into heavier, darker undercurrents that are not easily dismissed.
Then there’s “Engines“, perhaps my favorite song, as it is one rife with those slower grooves and more subtle elements… at first. Eventually, they give way to heavier, periodic breakdowns before they reprise and grip you tight. This song is a perfect example of how TARPIT ORCHESTRA has crossover commercial appeal, a good thing when done right, and done right here it is.
Don’t just take my word for it, check out our stream of the “Songs About Dragons” EP or get on over to Bandcamp HERE to stream and purchase the release. For Fans Of: Stonerror, Bushfire, Lowburn
