Appollonia – Dull Parade

self-release, autumn 2015 , total running time: 40:33

Appollonia hailing from Bordeaux/Biarritz, France, have been around since 2006, and this Dull Parade seems to be their 4^th self-released full length album so far. And it is not dull at all. Although their sound immediately catches your attention, I find it somehow difficult to describe. Still I try – the focus lies in the sound worlds of grunge and stoner rock, with a touch of sludge, but there are also hardcore elements (shouting vocals backing up the clean singing), pretty Prog-y to experimental outbursts and of course a good dose of classical Heavy Metal. Some of those 9 songs are indeed little masterpieces, for example Everest, others I find a bit “dragging along”, like “To Study Lips”. Yet the overall impression is more than positive. In their bio they mention the strength of the band as “the ability to combine the heaviness of metal and the emotions of real life.” Nothing more to add…

1 – On A Bed Of Sulfur (3’23)

2 – Strange Blooms (3’53)

3 – Lights Out / Knives Out (4’32)

4 – Ammunitions Please (4’11)

5 – Everest (5’19)

6 – Elizaberri (4’23)

7 – To Study Lips (5’20)

8 – Anelace (3’35)

9 – Welsh Rarebit (5’54)