Review GREENLEAF “The Head & The Habit”

These days, heavy rockers Greenleaf are adding another album to their discography with “The Head & The Habit”. Founded in 1999, the band released their debut album “Revolution Rock” in 2001. What a start to the new century.

Since then Greenleaf have been releasing albums on a very regular base. The last album “Echoes from a Mass” saw the light of day in 2021 and the ninth album will follow in June this year.

“The Head & The Habit” contains nine songs and the heavy rock approach of the four Swedes remains the essence of their sound. It is as if the desert heat, musically provided by bands like Kyuss, meets a roaring fuzz sound. Spiritual Beggars are certainly a band that has influenced Greenleaf, yet the guys have found their own niche.

“Breathe, Breathe Out” is the starting point of this thunderous journey. Clearly equipped with some stoner vibes, the song combines heaviness and a shimmering fata morgana illusion. It’s a great way to start the album, as the song shows power and is also equipped with some nice twists.

“Different Horses” spreads some Mustang power before “A Wolf in My Mind” takes over. The song has a solid punch and a blistering solo section before the hard-hitting rocker passes the baton to “That Obsidian Grin”.

The short acoustic interlude is very intense and comes with a rather melancholic blues vibe.
The most subtle song is “The Tricking Tree”. Clocking in at eight minutes, it is the longest song on the album and shows that Greenleaf have a lot in their musical toolbox, as the thrill is alive throughout the track. Based on a pounding beat, the song has a hypnotic expression, which is also due to the constantly repeating basic pattern. The very calm middle part is a more somber part of the song that slowly builds up again.

Greenleaf show a lot of creative drive as the album combines some roaring, riff-driven songs with smooth and fragile moments. Although not deviating from their trademarks, the album has enough versatility to make this 43-minute ride an exciting adventure.