BONG

With a title that challenges what it is we think that the genre of stoner is (or any other genre for that matter), Bong take a dig at the incessant need by critics and fans to categorise music. Of course, we could waffle on endlessly in some pseudo-philosophical manner about the need for classification as an aid to developing our understanding and therefore penetrating deeper into the artistic realm of music and its relation with the ever-evasive essence of humanity’s spiritual depths or even as confirmation, as an assertion that existence is an absence, a void, a lack that necessitates existence in all its existential angst. Or we could examine in great detail all of Bong’s previous works and attempt to identify some deeper meaning to their music as we plot our way through their back catalogue and perhaps in some way congratulate ourselves in discovering wave upon wave of questionable conclusions as the deeper we go, the more we lose sight of whatever it was we were looking for in the first place.


But if we did any of that we wouldn’t be listening to the album would we? Two tracks – or rather “movements” that are colossal in size and as mind-numbingly repetitive as they are transcendental. Indulge philosophically if you want, the album allows, even encourages it. Press play, crank the volume, and lay down to let the music wash over you; that’s allowed too. However you decide to engage with this album, join Bong in their redefinition and listen to it. Time and again. As heavy as stone, as dense as rock, and as timelessly indestructible as both, this is a great piece of work.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Ritual Productions

Album

STONER ROCK

Review by Jason Guest

RUNNING TIME:

74:24

RELEASE DATE:

3rd March 2014

TRACK LISTING

1) Out of the Aeons
2) Polaris

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

UK

"As heavy as stone, as dense as rock, and as timelessly indestructible as both, this is a great piece of work."