Album Review: 1000MODS - Cheat Death
Reviewed by Richard Oliver
Greek stoner rock band 1000mods have been a powerhouse for two decades with four critically acclaimed albums to their name and igniting stages worldwide with their devastating live performances. My own first exposure to 1000mods was at Metaldays Festival in scorching 38 degree heat but the band were that damn good it was worth suffering in the blistering sun for. Now with album number five “Cheat Death”, 1000mods raise the temperature once again.
“Cheat Death” has all the key elements one looks for in a stoner rock album - killer riffs, plenty of groove, psychedelic jams and Sabbath worship - but also add in some heavy metal ferocity and bagfuls of punk rock attitude. This is an album that has some heft to it in songs such as the chunky ‘Götzen Hammer’ and the Motörhead worship of ‘Speedhead’ whilst the punk ferocity comes to the fore in songs such as ‘The One Who Keeps Me Down’.
The psychedelic side of the band is explored in the relaxed vibes of ‘Love’ and the emotionally charged album closer ‘Grey, Green Blues’. For more straightforward stoner rocking vibes the Kyuss inspired “Astral Odor’ and the packed riff-fest of album opener ‘Overthrown’ but the highlight has to be the doom-laden but insanely catchy ‘Misery’ which transitions to a wonderfully Sabbath-like section towards the songs close.
Although it has all the hallmarks of the stoner rock genre at its core, “Cheat Death” is a wonderfully varied album showcasing many sides of the band’s songwriting and compositional skills. From light and shade to the delicate to full arse kicking rocking power, 1000mods really demonstrate on this album that there are plenty of sides to them with this being not only of their heaviest albums but one of their trippiest. The band have a loyal following in stoner rock circles and “Cheat Death” is going to definitely please their fanbase as well as hopefully add some numbers to it.
