Review: Gods & Punks ‘A Shrine By The Sea’
Despite my awareness of their moniker, which originated from a particularly awesome Monster Magnet song, I had yet to check out Brazilian heavy psych purveyors Gods & Punks. Formed in 2017 by brothers Alexandre (vocals) and Pedro Canhetti (bass) and rounded out by guitarist Rodrigo B. and drummer Gabriel S., the band has a notable work ethic, releasing a flood of material since their inception. Additionally, they do not lack ambition. Their first four albums form an interwoven musical saga, and after a hiatus that saw Alexandre endure a near-death experience – chronicled on their fifth album Death – they have returned with A Shrine By The Sea.
Right off the bat, I would be remiss not to mention both the super cool logo and the album artwork done by Alexandre himself. Evoking the stark illustrations of legendary Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, the reddish-orange and gold colors coupled with the vintage presentation are eye-catching, to say the least.
While not presented as another concept album, A Shrine By The Sea‘s aspirational eight songs, or ‘waves,’ are split evenly right down the middle: the first half being The Lighthouse, and the second Poseidon. With that, we begin with Lighthouse [First Wave], which twinkles to life with the sound of, you guessed it, waves hitting the shore, some spacey guitar playing, subtle tom rolls, and mellow vocals before exploding like a fast-hitting storm at sea. They deftly weave a mellower approach and slamming riffage fluidly enough over six minutes to not only capture the listener’s attention, but also conjure a sense of unpredictable movement on the water.
Next up, the rolling, tumbling main riff, ethereal vocals, crash-and-bash rhythmic pummel, and overall energy of The Lighthouse [Second Wave] left this reviewer recalling both Margarita Witch Cult and Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats. The organ flourishes starting at the mid-section are both fantastic and well-timed, as are the spooky, floating vocals between verses.
a fuzz-drenched, psychedelic, garage-doom vibe with swing for days…
The Lighthouse [Third Wave] proffers a fuzz-drenched, psychedelic, garage-doom vibe with swing for days and some exceptional stoner-shred. They ride this, ahem, wave throughout before bringing it all down abruptly, ending affairs with a spaced-out, mellow comedown. Rounding out the first half, The Lighthouse [Fourth Wave] rides an addictive main riff, double-tracked with plenty of tasteful, cosmic shred. Initially, at least, as it then makes an abrupt left turn into a twinkling acoustic passage that features beautiful guest vocals from Andrea Ruocco (ex-Spiral Guru), more wave effects, and some serious flute-y synth that carries us to the proverbial coastline.
Moving to the second half, Poseidon [First Wave] is a killer instrumental featuring plenty of trippy, clean guitar running parallel with psychedelic, desert-style noodling. It soon detonates into Poseidon [Second Wave], instantly kicking into ’70s heavy-rock mode with plenty of fist-raising riffage and organ epic-ness. This sound soon dissipates as it floats into a trippy, introspective passage before they careen back into rock-god mode, then back again as we dwell in the band’s loud/quiet dynamic.
Hitting the home stretch with the instrumental Poseidon [Third Wave], the four-piece remains in ’70s rock mode. They unleash a torrent of guitar shred, organ flourishes, and twists and turns before bringing it all down to a lone bass line, rebuilding the whole thing with the assured sense of true prog-rock alchemists. Not surprisingly, we close in grand fashion as Poseidon [Fourth Wave] gets as weird as one would like. Packed with dual harmonizing vocals between Alexandre and Ruocco, mesmerizing melancholic riffery, organ flourishes, and all-around proggy strangeness, it descends into a clean, thoughtful guitar outro that fades into the ever-present waves hitting the shore.
Man, A Shrine By The Sea turned out to be one of the more impressive and vast sonic experiences I’ve had thus far this year. There is tons of dynamism, loud-to-quiet builds, impressive vocal harmonics, well-timed ’70s organ action, endless riffs and psychedelia, and enough weirdness that it all comes together seamlessly, flowing as fluidly and cohesively as its creators undoubtedly intended.
Label: Electric Valley Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Martin Williams
