Review: Dozer ‘Rewind To Return: Rarities, Singles And B-Sides’
When a band is young and active, it is easy to get lost in the moment and not necessarily be aware of the shifts in their development beyond your instinctual reaction to a new release. One of the fascinating things about an evolving musical entity is being able to take a step, years into their career and understand this trajectory and the changes that took place.
Dozer’s legacy needs no introduction 30 years after their inception. The Swedes led the charge in the early waves of European stoner, infusing that desert dry heat captured by the likes of Kyuss and Fu Manchu, with a metal and punk flavour that only the icy climbs of Scandinavia could conjure.
Following their triumphant return in 2023 with Drifting In The Endless Void, which ranked number #3 in my Top Ten albums of that year, they have completely earned the right to a well-deserved victory lap of celebration. And for those rabid fans (hello!) eager to get their hands on more from Tommi Holappa’s four-piece, the release of Rewind To Return: Rarities, Singles And B-Sidesis a salivating prospect.
This double set does exactly what it says on the beautifully presented vinyl sleeve. Selected from band favourites rather than a strictly chronological, historical compilation, the music here can also be found elsewhere by diligent completists. Appearing on mediums such as their early demos (including the unreleased Universe 75), split releases, and 12” versions of their early albums.
Whilst it does not tell Dozer’s complete story up until their return after the 2009 hiatus, it gathers many gems. These tracks stand as shining examples of how a young band from the town of Borlänge rose to the top of the scene and cemented an indelible body of work.
Lovingly remastered by former member, Demon Cleaner/Green Leaf drummer and producer par excellence Karl Daniel Liden (who produced pretty much everything that the band have done post 2006’s Through The Eyes Of Heathensfollowing his departure from the drum stool), the sound captures the heft and unmistakeable fuzzed out bliss of their early works, injecting it with an air of freshness and vitality.
But enough burning through the word count with fluff, on to the music.
The sequence jumps around, mingling early tracks with later albums, grouped by flow and feel rather than a slavish walk through their evolution. First up are three tracks: Tanglefoot, Hail The Dude and Centreline from their ’98/’99 era splits with Demon Cleaner.
The former is in a hurry to get into the fuzzed-out bounce and the lo-fi burn of the guitar against the dancing lead that would see the nascent flailing of their original Kyuss influenced baby steps. Hail The Dude smashes with thunderous riffing, Frank Nordin’s raw vocals and growing melodic experimentation. The final of these tracks sees them taking strides towards the early smouldering groove they would go on to perfect.
a great insight into their journey from a small town in Sweden to the kings of the desert rock hill…
The smash of Southern Star (a bonus from the Call It Conspiracy vinyl) shows the cleaner sound and assuredness they had developed in the interim years with its danceable hooks, whilst The Electrocuter B-side from 2002 bridges the gap and has an almost QOTSA harmony.
Universe 75 is a standout treat, as are fellow demo tracks Season Of Giants and 2 Ton Butterfly at the back end of the album. It bristles with a punchy attitude that is bolstered by the gritty production that lends heft to the main riffs, but adds a heavy psych vibe to the blissed out instrumental section. The other two numbers from this period grind with a faltering pace before the speed rush Season Of Giants shows off their playful side that would evolve to make them one of the unique standouts of the scene as they locked into that Palm Springs no limits ethos with 2 Ton Butterfly.
The freewheeling spirit of Serpent’s Head (bonus track from In The Tail Of A Comet) sees the band mixing Sabbath prowess with their own low jamming vibes, whilst Rings Of Saturn is familiar to those with Madre de Dios on vinyl. This pair capture the distinctive tones of the Man’s Ruin era Dozer as they shed their overt worship of Homme and Co and stepped into their own proto-stoner metal sound.
Of the remaining tracks, there are still rich pickings for the collector – the laidback cool of the Misfits cover She, recorded for the Graven Images tribute album, as well as the Sunridecover Vinegar Fly, which also appeared on the 2004 Vultures EP. Dozer add their own twists without losing the magic of the originals.
Mammoth Mountain lurches and rumbles before they put the foot on the pedal in a bid to stand out on a local band’s compilation from all the way back in 1997, before skipping ahead to the more belligerent Silverball from their 1999 split with Demon Cleaner. The high-octane energy of Star By Star, which was previously available through a number of limited avenues, fills out this jam-packed collection with its classic swirling Dozer build and release. Here they took classic rock bombast and a snotty, balls-to-the-wall DIY attitude, turbo-charging their sound and making them stand out beyond the slavish copyists.
Rewind To Return is literally manna from heaven for the Dozer aficionado. Not entirely comprehensive (giving hope for more down the line), but an absolute treat for fans of the band and a great insight into their journey from a small town in Sweden to the kings of the desert rock hill.
I have these tracks, scattered across various formats and in a manner that means listening to them has undoubtedly become a chore. To have these nestled alongside each other, given a boost from Linden’s sterling work, makes this feel like Christmas, if your definition of Christmas is a new Dozer album that is.
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
