Lommi - 667788

I’m very confused.  The press release for this album said this is the Swedish band Lommi’s most aggressive album to date and it’s been 10 years in the making.   Why is that confusing?  Because I can’t find ANYTHING on this band.    They have very little digital presence and even their record label has zero information about them.  I can’t find any evidence they have ever released an album other than this one, the oddly titled “667788.”

But, confusing musical history aside, this is a goddamn burner of an album.  It’s rooted in old-school doom/metal but far more aggressive than most vintage bands I come across these days.  The bass guitar and double bass are really powerful and thick in the mix—earth shattering!  Speaking of the mix, this album sounds fantastic!  It’s loud and boisterous but those adjectives work in its favor because it lets the riffs shine.

The riffs.  My god the RIFFS.  This album is like Christmas morning but instead of receiving presents, you’re receiving riffs to your face.  If you are a guitar fan, especially when an album is front loaded with groove, groove, and more groove, then this album will be your wet dream.  I mean, that’s kind of weird but it’s true.  Every song on this album was put together to do just one thing: make your head bang until it falls off.  I mean, if you’re going to murder your fanbase then doing so with the power of the riff is the best way possible.

The vocals aren’t bad, either.  They are clean but just rough enough when needed and always expressive and energetic. 

The album explodes with the opening song, “Sayonara.” Within thirty seconds my brain was already bleeding from the riffs and the drums that hammer them in.  The groove has a laid-back feel to it but it’s also heavier than a bag of rocks.  Really big rocks.   The solo in the later half is pretty sweet too and the bass that boosts it up is just as impressive, if not more so. 

“Blood Moon,” is one of my favorite songs on the album.  It’s just over 7 minutes long and. It. Just. Doesn’t. Stop.   The guitars are hypnotic to a high degree, but the rock-solid rhythm and vocals keep the song grounded without it going too far into psychedelic territory.  The chorus is catchy as hell too!   From the 3:53 mark all the way to the end of the song is nothing but nonstop heavy fucking metal.  If this song doesn’t excite you then you better get a will going because you’re probably on the way to death. 

“Children,” has a bassline that could, well, eat children.  The rhythm/cadence of the vocals lace the song with a confident swagger and the band can sure as hell back it up.  Another catchy, banger of a chorus holds the song together in between bouts of liquid hot magma riffs.  I like the middle part, it’s a different dynamic that shows off the band’s ability to do more than just rock faces off.  

The final song, “Fight,” is the best way to end the album because it’s full of violent energy, menacing vocals, and precision guitars that are razor sharp.  This song is all rise, all the time and its waves of notes crest against other notes until the very end.

Lommi seems to have come from nowhere but if this album doesn’t put them on the map then humanity needs to end because it wouldn't be a world I want to be part of.  

Rating:  Excellent