Huanastone - Third Stone From the Sun

Tobias Contardo, Carl Lambertus, Filip Larsson and Victor Hansson make up Malmö-based stoner rock quartet Huanastone. Their second album 'Third Stone From The Sun' brings a riff-driven, melodic ambience to their sound, reminiscent of early QOTSA. The Josh Homme influence is highly recognisable, especially in the performance of singer Tobias Cantardo. 

With a new label, a band's sound can either drastically decline or dramatically improve. In the case of Huanastone, I'm delighted to say that the latter is most certainly the case. Improving on from their 2017 release 'Second Stone', these Malmö rockers have well and truly established themselves as an absolute gem in the stoner rock scene in Scandinavia, taking after fellow Swedes Truckfighters. The beginning of the album justifies this claim with 'Viva Los Muertos', an opening song that encaptures how they have progressed from a more ambient and instrumental band, transitioning this influence into hard hitting riff driven tunes. A song that keeps the listener hooked with an upbeat sludge-induced riff that gives the song a sinister edge, it's accompanied by more thought-provoking and interesting lyrics than previously heard with Huanastone, more akin to that of Alice In Chains. 

The second song and arguably best track on the album, 'Bad Blood', can be encaptured in one word...Groovy. I challenge any fans of stoner/sludge rock to not bounce their head to this riff - believe me, it's not that easy. Showing off a more technically proficient style of groove, 'Bad Blood' is where the Queens of the Stone Age-stemmed influence really becomes prevalent. This song could easily slide into rock/alternative charts and would not seen out of place there either, almost as if Royal Republic and QOTSA had a baby. The two-pronged song 'Oliver' follows. Starting with a much darker and ambient instrumental, 'Oliver Pt. 1' sets the scene well for the second part of the song. Drawing the listener into every minor scratch and twang, it leads into a heavier and much more aggressive part 2. This section shows more of a measured approach to their recording, especially when you take into consideration their recordings are all live. This is fantastic for the sludge sound they convey, and gives the listener a fantastic idea of what's to come at a live show. After hearing some performances, this is highly recommended if the opportunity arises.

Overall the listening experience is varied in what I would consider a very top heavy album, leaving you wanting more. Unfortunately, the latter half of the album doesn't quite deliver. 'She's Always' stands out from the back end as what should be a live staple for the rest of their careers, with a melodic introduction leading to the fantastic crescendo and head-thumping riff, showing that there is a lot more of this band's sound to come. I certainly hope that it's as good live as it sounds here, and that this is a direction the band follows in the future to really push in the coming years. 

For fans of QOTSA, Kyuss and Truckfighters, this band will be your metaphorical sludge fix. With what appears to be a fantastic live sound for all you gig-goers looking for a stiff neck at the end of a performance - this is a band for you.

LW

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