A peculiar body on the Nuclear Blast roster, but perhaps unsurprising given the vibrancy of this retro-rock revival scene (as other recent albums covered here have shown). No doom leanings from these German revivalists, however, as much in the same vibe as Wolfmother the music Kadavar produces is much more on the ‘rock’ side and completely drenched (sounds, aesthetics, you name it) in late 60s/early 70s vibes. All in all, it’s not a bad go of it, if not entirely riveting.
The songs are much like the faces of the band members that grace the cover – bearded and glossed over in ways that reflect a time that has long since come and gone. “Dust” has a very vicious kind of swing to it and likewise “Fire” just drives the body to move along with its near-perpetual sense of groove. There are times however that the similarities to Wolfmother come out a little too much, such as in opener “Come Back Life” and “Rhythm For Endless Minds.”
Abra Kadavar an album that doesn’t overstay its welcome but at the same time doesn’t always leave a lot to remember it by. If you’re enjoying the current revival scene then Abra Kadavar will likely have more than enough to suit your palette. If not, you’re best off passing over this, it isn’t going to convince you otherwise. This is straight up nights tripping on acid in open fields watching bonfires and sci-fi films. This is the new old.