Review by Rick Eaglestone for MPM
Norway’s Wryest Export Bokassa come out firing on all cylinders for latest release All Out Of Dreams
A lot of mid 90’s albums were quite heavy with an undercurrent of political dissatisfaction and nearly three decades on that source material is once again leaned one with a stoner riff dynamic as evident the rolling drums and charging pace on opener The Ending Starts Today
Follow up Garden Of Heathen adds an even more gravel tone as features guest contributions from Sick Of It All’s Lou Keller.
A Raw Delivery floods Straight Edgleord for its duration with prominent basslines and fist pumping chants, bringing to mind such bands as Helmet and Biohazard.
Title Track All Out Of Dreams incorporates a nice splash of soundscapes that takes the listener on a whirlwind journey through the decades with a catchy combination of riffs, synths and outpouring of storytelling.
Up next mixing stoner and satirical is firstly Bradford Death Squad featuring Red Fang’s Aaron Beam then Let’s Storm The Capitol which is defined by the band themselves.
“Let’s Storm The Capitol is kind of a satirical look, at how rarely people form their own opinions even though they might think they do. Thus, making them useful idiots for opportunists who prey on uninformed people, and use them to accomplish their own agendas. The song’s title is also a nod to Neil Young’s “Let’s Impeach The President” from the mid-2000s, so you can’t accuse us of being particularly hip and trendy this time either.
Moving onto Everything Fails In The End its forty-six second duration is something to be admired as it is very well structured and coupled with the blues groove of Gung Ho works incredibly well. There is a raspiness of Wednesday 13 than runs through it too which is an added bonus.
Fast charging all out No More Good Days would’ve worked really well as an instrumental but in its current form shows no sign of sitting on laurels before the final track Crush (All Heretics) is engulfed with spoken word and hammer crushing severity finishing off the album with a wave of unwavering frustration that is fitting with the overall aesthetic.
BOKASSA sum up, “All Out Of Dreams is an album where the feeling of resignation is present on several of the album’s tracks. Whether it deals with one’s own failures, maybe you feel the system failed you, perhaps because of failed government policies, or that you’ve just given up on it all.
All Out Of Dreams” Track listing.
01 The Ending Starts Today
02 Garden Of Heathen (feat. Lou Koller of Sick Of It All)
03 Straight Edglelord
04 All Out Of Dreams
05 Bradford Death Squadron (feat. Aaron Beam of Red Fang)
06 Let’s Storm The Capitol
07 Everyone Fails In The End
08 Gung Ho
09 No More Good Days
10 Crush (All Heretics)
Line-up:
Jørn Kaarstad – Guitar, vocals
Olav Dowkes – Drums, backing vocals.
Bård Linga – Bass
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7/10
