Glasgow Quartet The Rhubarb have unleashed their debut album Symptom of Failure via Milky Bomb Records.
Formed in 2015, the band's brand of doom stoner rock, merged with the interchangeable male/female vocals of Hannah White and Sean Maguire will send shivers down your spine. They have built up a solid following with notable support slots to bands like Bongzilla, Alunah and Black Moth, as well as airplay on Total Rock, Amazing Radio and Hard Rock Hell.
Symptom of Failure is the follow-up to 2020's EP Black Sun and features eight tracks of distortion-drenched riffs and psychedelic rock destined to leave your head feeling like in cloud nine.
The low-strung psychedelic Mist opens the album like a soundtrack to a B-horror movie. White's enchanting vocals mesmerise the listener over fuzzy guitars that build to the introduction of Maguire's softer input. The song's spine-tingling instrumental breakdowns resonate throughout this release.
Next is the six-minute 'Forbidden', an equally hazy antidote of razor-sharp riffs and captivating solos. The haunting 'Awful Deed' is the band's latest single; an amalgamation of deft drum fills over ominous guitar play.
The band interweaves harmonious vocal styles with sinister and distorted riffs to create an uneasy atmosphere within the music. In particular, Guitarist Michael McConville plays a pivotal role in a variety of riffs between slow, sludge instrumental breakdowns to sonically enhancing guitar solos for example, the slow, ponderous guitar leads of 'I Wanna Play a Game' builds speed to more aggressive riffs. Drummer Jack Donnelly also deserves a special mention as the glue that keeps the music together. The combination of subtle tom beat fills and thunderous leads adds a sinister edge to the guitar play and vocals.
And finally, Hannah White's vocal range on 'Trip to the South' is like a possessed Kate Bush over down tuned guitar riffs that are simple, but affected.
Overall, the Symptom of Failure is a fine balance of crafted songs and gothic storytelling that highlights the strong chemistry of the band.
Words by Anselm Anderson
Rating: 8.5/10
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