Review SCORCHED OAK ‘Perception’

Linda, Ben and Freed are back. The three joined forces in 2016 and have been on the go as Scorched Oak ever since. The debut album ‘Withering Earth’ followed a few years down the line, in 2020 to be precise. For well-known reasons, this was a difficult time for the entire industry, but Scorched Oak had no intention of dropping what they had just started, especially as the debut album caused quite a buzz.

Now, with ‘Perception’, the new album is visible on the horizon and with the opener ‘Delusion’, the band have already delivered a sneak peek of what fans can expect. In general, it can be said that Scorched Oak continue their mission through the depths of stoner-inspired rock. Heavy riffs and down-tuned guitars set the tone. What adds to the charm is the vocal direction of the band. As both Linda and Ben take over the mic, an exciting field of tension is created, which gives the songs a special character.

After leaving the already familiar opener ‘Delusion’ behind, the hypnotic riffs of ‘Mirrors’ come into play. The extended repetition of the main riff creates a mirage-like atmosphere, with the calmer parts providing a nice change of pace.

With the relatively brisk ‘Relief’, the above-mentioned interaction between the two voices is shown to its best advantage, while the following ‘Echoes’ impresses with its strong pulse and Linda’s outstanding vocal performance. While stoner rock due to its viscous flow is often compared to the shimmering heat of the deserts of this world, it is the heat of the blast furnaces of the Ruhrgebiet that is reflected on ‘Perception’.

With ‘Reflection’ and ‘Oracle’, ‘Perception’ comes up with two more very impressive and inspiring songs. It’s clear that ‘Withering Earth’ was just the beginning, because what Scorched Oak deliver on ‘Perception’ is great music that is already exciting on first listen and also contains enough detail to keep you well entertained during subsequent rounds on the record player.