The Ground Shaker - 2023 - Rogue Asylum

(44:55; Fastball Music)

Track list:
1. 88 Strong as a Lion 2:21
2. Mask of Insanity 3:09
3. A World Which Only I Can See 3:58
4. I Wonder Why 3:30
5. Dragon in the Sky 3:48
6. King Without a Crown 3:15
7. Ride on Me 3:50
8. Demons in My Dreams 4:26
9. Onna Bugeisha 2:55
10. Eternal Cycle 3:03
11. Lone Wolf 3:14
12. Out of Silence 3:52
13. Day of Sin 3:34

Line-up:
Giro Reign - vocals, guitars
Dav Elgin - guitars
Vortex Ram - bass
Bat Ducora - drums


Swiss band The Ground Shaker have been around since 2015 or thereabouts, and dropped their debut album "Down the Hatch" back in 2017. While the band have been quiet as a recording unit since then, I see that they have been active on the live circuit after that point, and presumably a certain pandemic slowed down band development for a bit too. These days the band is out with a new album. "Rogue Asylum" is the name of this creation, which was released through German label Fastball Music.

The band describe their music as modern hard rock, and while I would opt for contemporary hard rock as the description myself I guess the main point is that the band does tend to shy away from the more common conventions of the hard rock sound. Those eagerly looking for the phrase blues-based can safely look in a different direction, to put it that way.

The songs here tend to be on the short and concise side of matters, and while we do get gentler interludes and a few more atmospheric laden side steps, energetic and vibrant are defining phrases as far as a general description of the content here is concerned. The vocals tend to be on the controlled side of matters too, and while not what you'd describe as calm and collected you won't find any traces of the vocal heritage of for instance Robert Plant present here either. And those fond of the boogie tradition of hard rock or the glam oriented variety of the style won't get much pleasure here either when it comes to that.

My impression is that the foundation here is a kind of a mix up between stoner rock and pop punk. We get the vibrant and energetic pulses from the stoner rock tradition, alongside some nice and booming bass guitar details in quite a few songs. We also get more staccato guitar impulses and appealing chorus sections that come with some direct nods towards the pop punk side of the table.

The Ground Shaker does expand a bit beyond merely such a mix of course. Some of the songs will have a more aggressive attitude that may be a case of a little bit of a hardcore inspiration too, or possibly post-hardcore. We also get songs with a darker, dirtier and more groove-oriented touch to them of the kind that gives me instant associations towards the 90's grunge tradition. A final and partially defining element is the use of subtly psychedelic elements, most often as a subtle harmony overlay and occasionally as a somewhat more dominant element in transitions and the occasional interlude. While not used to the extent that one can describe this album inside of a psychedelic music tradition, it is a carefully applied layer of subtle seasoning, and one that in my view also is one of those small details that manages to elevate the interest level of the songs where this has been applied.

If you are fond of a more contemporary breed of hard rock of the kind I suspect many would describe as residing within the alternative tradition of the form, then this album by The Ground Shaker is one that should be of general interest. Especially if a punk, stoner and grunge blend inside of that context strikes you as an intriguing mix of traditions to combine.

Olav M. Björnsen, May 2023

Links:
https://thegroundshaker.com/
http://www.fastball-music.de/