From the moment their self-titled release arrived on Bandcamp in 2022, Polish doom/stoner/space rock band Volt Ritual proved to be an act headed for greatness. Whether channelling Black Sabbath on that debut, or putting elements of Hawkwind and Neu! through a much heavier filter on their ‘Return To Jupiter’ follow up, the musicians never sounded anything less than a hundred percent committed to delivering the riffs.
Despite being newly released in 2025, the two tracks that form the ‘Swamp Lake City’ EP pre-date the debut, but in the band’s own words “needed some time to get to their final form”. It’s fair to say that, up until this point, the tracks must’ve been pretty raw. Even in their polished and ready for the public guise, they present Volt Ritual in a fairly uncompromising fashion. The opening of ‘The Giant Sleeps’ opens with an almost siren-like riff; a riff that, if the listener isn’t fully prepared, will definitely give them a jolt. Having then gained attention, Volt Ritual then set about exploring a slow, doomy riff. Everything here is as you’d expect: Sabbath-esque sounds (but delivered even more slowly) are joined by an accented vocal that hints at space rock, and a sledgehammer of a rhythm section holds down a funereal tempo. The more spacious parts of the arrangement show off a superb bass tone from Michal, but otherwise everything feels a little more workmanlike than expected. The first part of this track definitely shows more primitive origins, but once the trio embark on a slightly faster riff, things fall into place.
The middle of the track takes on more of a stoner infused swagger, and in doing so, allows not only for a more interesting guitar tone from Mateusz, but also aims to thrill the audience with a rhythmic backdrop where Tomek fills a lot of space with some heavy toms adding more of a tribal quality. With things now feeling a little more settled, the second half of the track is even more interesting, since slightly quieter guitar tones add more of a psychedelic/desert influence and Tomek’s drumming is given more room for its heavy tom work. Then, not content with that, the band switches the mood a final time to deliver a riff that sounds like a Fu Manchu lift – albeit massively heavied up – before returning to the number’s original doomy sounds to bring everything full circle. Despite a wobbly start, this is a solid showcase for all concerned; a seven minute showcase that features many of the band’s strongest musical traits. It mightn’t feel as immediate as some prior Volt tunes, but a few plays will certainly unleash something of interest to a lot of stoner and doom fans.
Branching out, ‘Miasto Wśród Bagien’ (which translates as ‘City Among The Swamps’) takes on slightly more of an 80s feel and a bigger nod to trad metal due to an increased tempo and a reliance on a chugging riff, as opposed to the typical doom. Not that the end result will upset extant fans, since the guitar sounds are huge, and the bass work anchors everything within the stoner territory that Volt Ritual have made their forte. It’s actually great to hear them thundering in this way, since it allows Mateusz to explore a more enthused vocal. It’s also very much a track of two halves since, when the metallic riffs reach their natural climax, Volt Ritual take an opportunity to weave their way through some great space rock sounds. A slow groove sets a mood in place with ease, and Mateusz adds a layer of soaring guitars that, with a little encouragement, could explore something prog-like, but he plays safely and revisits some of the bluesier sounds that made ‘Return To Jupiter’ more interesting than your average stoner LP. Ensuring things don’t fizzle out or merely float away, Tomek makes a timely return with some heavy toms, and the band works a heavy, almost Sabbath-esque riff to create a big finish. The extended playing time here allows a lot of different moods to be explored, and yet, as the last notes fade, it leaves the listener wanting to hear more. Maybe this is actually a good thing: upon hitting the repeat button, you’ll discover something that sounds even better the second time around.
It may come with a rough intro, and the material here might not feel quite as sophisticated as the best bits of ‘Return To Jupiter’, but fans will find a lot to enjoy throughout this EP. The material might not click with the first time listener, however, since both tracks rely on less than direct arrangements – they would be best advised to go back and listen to the ‘Volt Ritual’ EP first – but, overall, this confirms that Volt Ritual are one of the best heavy bands working within the European stoner/doom underground at the time of this release. Although this EP doesn’t seem to reach its full potential until a few plays in, it’s still a recommended listen.
January 2025