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Few names in European stoner rock carry the
same weight as Lowrider. Emerging from
Sweden in the late 1990s, the band quickly earned recognition as one of the
first true heirs to the desert rock sound pioneered by Kyuss.
Their debut EP in 1998 was a promising introduction, but it was the full-length
"Ode To Io", released in 2000, that firmly placed them in the lineage
of the genre’s defining acts. For many listeners, this record became the
European counterpoint to the Palm Desert scene, sparking an entire wave of
bands who would take inspiration from its massive grooves, low-end thunder, and
desert-drenched atmospheres.
Now,
twenty-five years later, Blues Funeral Recordings has
prepared a deluxe reissue that gives the album the presentation it always
deserved. Complete with restored artwork, expanded packaging, and remastered
audio, this edition brings "Ode To Io" back into the spotlight,
reaffirming its role as a cornerstone of stoner rock.
Listening again today, "Ode To Io" still roars with the same vitality that stunned listeners at the dawn of the millennium. The riffs are enormous, driven by fuzz-drenched guitars and weighty bass lines that roll like sandstorms across an endless horizon. Tracks such as "Caravan", "Convoy V", and "Texas Pt. 1 & 2" pulse with unstoppable momentum, while slower cuts like "Dust Settlin’" and "Ode To Io" open up wide, sun-baked spaces that feel as expansive as the desert landscapes the genre is rooted in. The band’s interplay carries a natural chemistry, built on repetition and groove yet delivered with enough dynamics to keep the music alive and pulsing from start to finish.
The
production, now finally emphasizes depth and presence, giving every rumble and
fuzz-laden strike the weight of rolling thunder. What remains clear after all
these years is how timeless the album sounds. There is no sense of nostalgia
necessary to enjoy it — "Ode To Io" speaks just as strongly today as
it did upon release, both as a historical marker and as an album meant to be
played loud, vibrating walls and shaking ground.
This
reissue isn’t just a collector’s piece; it’s a reminder of why Lowrider became a name whispered with reverence in
underground circles. For longtime fans, it’s a chance to finally hear the album
in the form the band originally intended. For new listeners, it’s an open door
into one of the most influential stoner rock albums ever made.
Score: 7.0
https://www.facebook.com/lowriderrock/
https://lowriderofficial.bandcamp.com/album/refractions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgbz2S-yyw9rXDygks_ZBUw
https://www.facebook.com/bluesfuneral/
https://bluesfuneralrecordings.bandcamp.com/
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