Clouds

Despite the unassuming and deceptively lofty name, Clouds have to be one of Hydra Head’s most rockin’ bands, proving that sometimes it takes an eclectic (read: fucking oddball) collection of talent to be truly creative. In terms of Clouds, this means pulling from the likes of Cave In, Piebald, Righteous Jams and a host of others to delivery straightforward, balls-out groove rock the world hasn’t seen since the heyday of the Stooges and the MC5. Primal, pelvic and slightly perverse, their fuzzed-out guitar grit, possessed vocal delivery and penchant for bastardised blues rock riffs are the stuff acts like Bad Wizard have been purveying for years without such furious results. The end effect is a slightly muddier soul/punk vibe in the vein of Tricky Woo’s Sometimes I Cry without so many overbearing "whoos” and "ahhs.” Factor in moderate elements of chaos in their frantic breakdowns and one could see how, were it not for the timeliness, this could have been the prime inspiration for the punk rock’n’roll torch carried by Zeke and Gluecifer, albeit with tongue planted a touch harsher into shit-eating cheek. Seemingly over before it even begins, the eight tracks that are Legendary Demo make it an aptly named ephemeral gem (if one discounts the elongated dub-inspired jam that closes things) that’s fucking vital for those with a taste for modern biker rock that has been drizzled in mild Southern rock sauciness.