I got this self-titled EP by 1968 recently and I have to say I love the artwork. The single has a great old photo on the front and inside is a very cool photo of the band carefully posed around an obelisk with a purple sky. However, none of this matters if the music is crap, right?
Happily, the music isn't crap but this 3 song single lasts 20 minutes which gives you an idea that this lot are quite expansive where heavy rock/metal is concerned. The first song, Marauder, comes on like Audioslave to begin with until the first breakdown which features some cool phased guitars and effects as if they are breaking into some treasure ship and about to steal the treasure as it works towards the fade out.
Green Sails is more of the same but with a bit more of an Black Sabbath influence going on. The lyrics are quite deep and it requires a few listens to get the full story as they sail their ship to the heart of a monster riff which is perfect to headbang to.
|
The single closes with the rather monumental H.M.S. Conan: a real barbarian of a tune that starts off all urgent and angry as the singer spits the lyrics at us before a real speedy guitar solo and then back to the rest of this story. Are you looking for him? Well maybe but you should be looking for this EP! The song then seems to end just after the three and a half minute mark as it mutates into a second, more punishing part that sort of reminds me a bit of Kyuss as it builds through several climaxes and troughs towards its eventual end by which time I think I've heard three songs within the one tune.
This is a pretty cool and interesting EP. Find out more at
1968 Facebook page
|
