Review: 10,000 Years ‘Esox Lucifer’
Five years ago, when I first started writing for The Sleeping Shaman, one of my very first reviews was II, the second album from Swedish cosmic riff-wielders 10,000 Years. Formed in the plague year of 2020 by former members of the underground band Pike, the trio – Alex Risberg (bass/vocals), Erik Palm (guitars), and Alvin Risberg (drums) – boasts a noteworthy work ethic, releasing EPs and albums roughly every year and a half.
In doing so, they have continued to evolve their sound, adding touches of chugging thrash, weird proggy breakdowns, and melodic passages alongside their devastating riffery. They have never lacked ambition either; their first three releases formed a trilogy that told the story of The Albatross and The Green King – a sci-fi, humanity-in-space riff vortex if there ever was one. Admittedly, despite a glowing review of their previous full-length, All Quiet On The Final Frontier, by my Shaman colleague Josh Schneider, that record has sat stranded in my Bandcamp queue since its release. Thus, I find myself coming into their latest release, and second for Ripple Music, Esox Lucifer, without the context of its predecessor. Nonetheless, this mattered little. I knew that whatever new wrinkles 10,000 Years added to their sound, it was going to rule.
Beasts Of The Northern Wild kicks off the album, an instrumental featuring seagull-esque squalls and other animal effects from the literal northern wild. Its notable build and spacey lead work set the stage for the fuzzed-up wallop of Pursuit Special. Musically, this track is gargantuan: a raging, early Queens of the Stone Age-ish riff rolling parallel to a no-nonsense rock and roll rhythmic pummel, all with the volume and fuzz cranked to eleven. Risberg’s vocals remain a core ingredient, and his characteristic anguished yell sounds as harrowing as ever. Without missing a beat, the trio drops into a spiraling breakdown that carries us to the end in a wash of interstellar shred and heavy, driving rhythm.
Next up is the aptly named Fleur De Sledgehammer, which succeeds on all levels at striking the perfect balance between the massively heavy and the infinitely melodic. There are grand riffs and celestial lead work in abundance, rocking verses, and a twinkly outro featuring echoey French spoken word (where I couldn’t even begin to theorize what was being said).
Church Of The Red Museum stirs with massive noise squalls before giving way to a riff best described as cosmic, chugging, mid-tempo thrash. There is noticeably more melody throughout the track compared to my first experiences with the band on II, including the riffs themselves, which, while heavy as hell, easily worm their way into your brain. The outro is colossal, showcasing an uncanny ability to conjure an aural feeling of descent like few before them.
a wash of interstellar shred and heavy, driving rhythm…
Alien Tactics leads off the second half of the record, seeing the trio veer into more proggy, melodic territory before setting controls for the heart of the sun and blasting off through a wormhole of pummeling drums and galactic shred. Lead single Two Million Stones stays in a similar lane with titanic, chugging, yet melodic riffing and chest-rattling rhythms. There is plenty of dynamism between musicians that all builds towards a crushing, yet expansive ending.
Before we know it, we reach the penultimate and awesomely titled Paranoidium, which sounds exactly like its name implies. In what feels almost effortless, the band succeeds in crafting a track that oozes paranoia and anxiety. Risberg possesses the perfect voice for this as his anguished yells fit the lyrical subject matter seamlessly. Meanwhile, Palm absolutely owns this performance, supplying ample amounts of soaring riffery and stargate-opening shred. We reach the end of our journey with the title track, Esox Lucifer, a sublime, dizzying example of their overall musicality, with its energizing build and ability to invoke deep emotion through sheer riff alchemy.
10,000 Years are truly one of the few bands I have encountered with an almost ethereal ability to take listeners on a journey as their releases are immersive sonic trips. This was demonstrated over the course of their aforementioned trilogy, but they have refined that skill on Esox Lucifer. It certainly helps that they are musicians of this caliber, as all three members shine throughout. While it’s difficult to pick a favorite performance, with a gun to my head, I would have to say Palm, as his guitar work is simply outstanding.
I suppose I could describe their current sound as an interstellar mashup of High On Fire and Neurosis, mixed with the fuzz of Fu Manchu and the proggy edge of early Mastodon. However, comparing them to others does them a disservice as they continue to prove they are in a league of their own. Highly recommended.
Label: Ripple Music
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Martin Williams
