Gonga
“Self-Titled”
(Tee Pee Records)
Stoner rock. Oh yeah. Sabbathy riffs, all sludgy and bleak but kicking at the rock all the same. And considering the band is from Bristol, England, the Sabbath influence is no coincidence. In worship of the guitar riff, laid upon the alter of rock. It’s doped up and laid back while still blowing the balls off the rock formula. Vocals are a hip, sly drawl that float upon the waves of fuzzy distortions. And they know when to shut up. Much of the charm of Gonga is the rock riff. Pure and simple. Often the songs just pull back and rock. The vocals are more of a dressing, utilizing a lot of repeated phrasings that just help keep the track in a more ‘song’ structure. Gonga is holding down the Sabbath end of the Fu Manchu and Nebula type rock bands. Twist one up, get some heavy eyelids and nod along to the rock trance Gonga will lay upon your soul.
