Artist: Indus Valley Kings
Album: Indus Valley Kings
Label: Independent
Release Date: 22/01/2021
Country: United States
We take a look at Indus Valley Kings and their debut full-length, self-titled album Indus Valley Kings, released independently on January 22nd.
The band hail from Long Island, New York and formed back in 2018. The band is Billy Fridrich (guitar and vocals), Jonathan Lesley Habers (bass and backing vocals) and Dan Lofaro (drums). The album was recorded live at Shorefire Studios in Long Branch, NJ by Joe DeMaio and was mastered at Sage Audio in Nashville, TN by Steve Corrao.
The band seamlessly blend stoner, doom, blues, desert rock and grunge to form a sound that focuses on two key elements, diversity and groove. The album is a captivating listen from start to finish and at no point ever feels repetitive or stale. There are a few key factors that help the achieve this, one of which is the truly stellar guitar work on the album which we will talk about more shortly. The other is the band’s in-depth understanding of each of the genres that they draw influence and inspiration from. While the album is cohesively blended, it is abundantly clear that the band are capable of not only pulling off any direction they take the music in, but also capturing the essence of each style of music they weave into their audio tapestry. Any band can just take riffs, guitar patterns, tunings and time signatures from other genres and throw it into their music, but Indus Valley Kings really know how to make the music feel like it should be there by bringing with those elements the spirit behind the music.
Alright let’s talk guitar, because this album is chocked full of it. The riffs are abundant, and it isn’t a case of quantity over quality either, we are lucky enough to get both on this release. You’ll even get some soaring guitar solos on here that will worm deep into your brain and re-emerge later in the day after listening to the album. The other element that the guitar brings is the groove on the release, which is truly in abundance and is a key reason why the album is so enjoyable to jam out to. We also get a fantastic bluesy swagger to the both the guitar work and the vocals on the album. Which brings us to our next element, the vocals, which to me are highly reminiscent of Ozzy and his bluesy wail. While they may draw inspiration from the Prince of Darkness, they definitely put their own spin in the style and have a truly unique sound to them. When combined with the guitar work, they really do complete the album’s overall sound. I would be okay with just listening to these two elements on their own and would still be thoroughly entertained.
Luckily for us though, we have the bass and drum work on the album to further expand and develop an already rich sound. Bass wise we have thick and audible lines that resonate throughout the album backing up the guitar work. These are particularly prevalent when the guitar solos occur and rumble through to allow them to glide across the top. We also get a few segments where the bass is the star of the show, while the guitar takes a back seat or holds back. The drum work on the release is on point and fully completes the overall sound on the album, giving us some additional energy and depth of sound.
Overall, this is a solid release and one that I knew I had to cover the moment I heard it. If you enjoy groovy stoner music, then this is a must listen. Personally, I can’t believe that this is the band’s debut release given how well put together it is. I look forward to seeing what they put out in the future. Give the album a spin today, you won’t regret it.
Listen to and order the album below:
Bandcamp:
Spotify:
Apple Music:
