Brutus are a bunch of retro rockers from Sweden & Norway who have here a fun album of '70s psychedelia, bluesy hard rock & metal. Yep, Behind the Mountains is for all you Witchcraft, Graveyard, Horisont, Wolfmother, and Captain Crimson fans out there, as well as those who drift towards the legends like Black Sabbath, Grand Funk Railroad, Blue Cheer, Cactus, and Humble Pie. Lead singer Jokke Stenby has a good voice, with more than a little Ozzy in him, and he wails over the top of some pretty cool '70s styled riffs from Johan Forsberg & Kim Molander on tracks such as "Personal Riot", "The Witches Remain", and the raucous "Big Fat Boogie". "Blue Pils" is more of a melancholy, blues drenched number, while "Square Headed Dog", with its thick, wah-wah riffs and fat bass grooves courtesy of Chrisitan Hellqvist, will instantly appeal to the stoner crowd. The spirit of Black Sabbath lives on throughout the crushing tracks "Can't Help Wondering Why" and "Mystery Machine", and the tumbling "Crystal Parrot", with its savage riffs and slashing harmonica, reeks of vintage Cactus.
OK, so I'm a sucker for this sort of thing, but if you also tend to fall under the spell of anything '70s sounding, make sure you don't miss out on this little gem.
Track Listing
1. The Witches Remains
2. Personal Riot
3. Big Fat Boogie
4. Blue Pills
5. Square Headed Dog
6. Mystery Machine
7. Crystal Parrot
8. Reflections
9. Can't Help Wondering Why