Jager band, Salt Lake City’s, Riksha deliver Dream Drops Red on Dark Harvest Records. A trippy, atmospheric blend of Opeth meets Rage Against the Machine with some Prong flavored energy jolted in. Vocalist Palmer performs the unique task of delivering main vocals with the lyrical rap like rasp of Zach de la Rocha, adding dreamlike background voices ALA Opeth sounding like a masked backward message played forward.
So Stupid starts with a breath gasping to inhale screeching into vocals turning into an almost tribal sound. Something’s Coming is a short calming yet creepy intro fading into Skull Shock’s stalking beat with anxiety-laden guitars and riffs equaling heartbeats as a serial killer thinks out loud.
Drool does the drums into off-kilter guitar notes as we peak into the wheelchair bound thoughts of a crazy person. Drool dark fairy tales for me, old man. Fade goes into the Fear Factory assemblage plant for mechanical inspiration and a cyber-genetic tribute.
Pulling Daises is Pantera fueled with submerged souls yelling at the surface. Hate You’s short simplistic yet dramatic ballad atmosphere stops in immediate contrast to Play Your Suffer’s fast-engine paced Ministry fueled speed. Time to bring your BS and play your fiddle, sit down, sit down… sit down!
They tear ‘the Doors’ off an old LA classic adding some grunt, dirt and grime to the old Roadhouse. Finisher Diesel and Cheese is a schizophrenic mix-mosh of Opeth, Tool and Ministry with a sprinkling of Mushroomhead. www.rikshaband.com
