When it comes to stoner influenced sounds, Italian band Fvzz Popvli aren’t afraid of mixing things up a little. On their third album (the prosaically titled ‘III’, released in March 2023), their distorted, Orange Goblin-esque blueprint came with a few very welcome twists. ‘Post Shit’ took a layer of stoner fuzz and placed it across a high octane number that celebrated the spirit of garage punk; the percussive ‘Monnoratzo’ shared some fairly typical stoner rock guitar sounds and a busy Geezer Butler inspired bassline, but injected the usual tropes with more of a Latin American groove, sounding like an uneasy blend of Fu Manchu and Santana, and – perhaps best of all – ‘The Last Place of Shame’ worked a massive chorus to its advantage, with a melody that sounded more like a Britpop throwback from Shed Seven than the expected Sabbath and Corrosion of Conformity influences usually found at the heart of the genre’s usual fare.

Their 2025 opus ‘Melting Pop’ isn’t quite on the same level in terms of sheer variety, but there are still a few very cool twists on the stoner ethic to be found. ‘Telephone’, in particular, turns the usual heavy, bass driven sound on its head by using a world of fuzz and some solid drumming to create a groove that falls between the early 70s boogie rock of ‘Piledriver’ era Quo and a glam infused stomp. As you might expect, it’s the perfect vehicle for a world of louder guitars, and Poochie plays up a storm. So much so, in fact, that it makes it much easier to forgive his lead vocals being a little hard going. The band offer a further balance on that score by filling the chorus with a wall of 70s inspired harmonies – again, something you wouldn’t expect to find within a genre so Sabbath-centric – and that actually gives this track a melodic heart that’s very strong.

Also cool, ‘Cop Sacher’ opens with a riff that sounds like a mangled Hendrix ‘Earth Blues’ before branching off into a punchier fuzz rock arrangement where the marriage of guitar and bass is much closer than before, creating a dense sounding stoner backdrop. As you might expect, this is meat and potatoes fare for these Italians, but everything is still played with verve, and when dropping into an even heavier riff for the chorus, the power within this power trio is more than evident. Things get a little more interesting when a couple of bluesy lead guitar fills are called upon to add extra texture, but this track really comes into its own with the arrival of an unexpected sax break, showing a great love for early Hawkwind.

Adding more melody to the Fvzz Popvli sound, the very 70s inspired ‘Erotik Fvel P.I.M.P’ allows the band to really cut loose. The arrangement makes great use of a riff that sounds as if it were lifted straight from the Stevie Salas catalogue, with Poochie working a great wah-ed sound and bassist Alex dropping some slightly funkier grooves to suit. It’s the kind of thing you’ll have heard from countless rock bands over the years, but there’s also a few heavier moments on hand to remind the listener of Fvzz’s main interests. When heavying things, Alex adds some brilliant distortion, driving the trio forth into a world of noise that sounds as if it could power an even bigger jam. As with the bulk of the material here, though, any temptation to lean upon excess is avoided, and with the help of a perfectly pitched bluesy lead guitar solo, this number becomes one of this record’s highlights.

For the more traditionally inclined stoner rock fan, ‘Salty Bvscvits’ will be an instant standout since it opens with a familiar sounding riff or two straight from the Fu Manchu ‘Show and Shine’ school of heavy grooves. Even when things get shaken a little with a vocal that’s a little spikier than expected, the track retains plenty of classic influences, genre wise. Throughout the album, drummer George can be found playing with a real force, but on faster numbers such as this, he sounds like a man with a real presence behind the kit. ‘Kommando’ will also definitely appeal to classic/trad stoner lovers with its mid tempo approach, semi-ugly vocal and distorted edges. The tone of the main riff is pure stoner; it wouldn’t be a great leap to imagine something similar on any Orange Goblin or Black Rainbows album you’d care to name, but – always keen to throw a curveball when the opportunity arises – Fvzz Popvli manage to play it in such a way that it, at least to begin with, sounds like something lifted from L7’s ‘Hungry For Stink’ LP. As things progress, and especially with regards to a brilliant instrumental coda, Poochie’s gift for great guitar work really shines through: first with a cool harmonic lead guitar smothering the heavy groove, and then via a confidently old school solo that rips through the fuzzy backdrop with a real intent. …And if the purists still feel short changed, ‘Ovija’ offers a much purer doom soundscape – all slow, grinding guitar riffs, measured drumming, distorted and bluesy solos on loan from the world of Electric Wizard – proving that even the most predictable Sabbath-isms can still sound amazing in the right hands.

Some of the material here is a little heavier than before – and occasionally things feel a little more direct – but, in the main, ‘Melting Pop’s eight tracks come together to create another solid record within the Fvzz Popvli catalogue. ‘III’ may well have been a little more interesting, and the earlier ‘Fvzz Dei’ more attuned to a deep psych sound in places, but unlike so many of their peers, you could never accuse these guys of making the same record twice. Granted, for all of their greatness, Fvzz Popvli lack a great singer and some of the vocal performances on this record are a little…challenging, but the riffs more than make up for that. Overall, this is a slightly flawed record, but it comes strongly recommended for genre fans. After all, “slightly flawed” will win out over a band going through the motions and playing things safely…every time.

January 2025