Norway has, over the last few years, begun to produce some fairly decent Stoner, Doom and Rock bands. With bands like KVELERTAK gaining international recognition, many other bands have also started to gain some attention. KAL-EL come from Stavenger, Norway, the home of KVELERTAK. But whereas they are a straight up Rock act, KAL-EL have produced some fairly decent stoner music. After the release of their "Dark Moon Voyage" EP, they are on the verge of releasing their first full length, "Pakal", which could very take them to the same lofty heights of their home town heroes.

Opener "Falling Stone" showcases the bands many prominent talents and motifs, and is a great song for the first track of a debut album. Tracks like "Quasar" could well prove to be crowd favourites in the near future. Vocalist Ulven has a strong Ozzy Osbourne influence to his vocal style, and it lends itself well to the fuzzed out riffing of the bands guitar/bass duo Roffe and Liz. They play decent Hard Rock in the style of bands like ORANGE GOBLIN and combine it with the distorted and gnarly tones of Stoner and Doom heavyweights like ELECTRIC WIZARD and WITCHSORROW. Songs like "Fire Machine" are just flat out groovy, and bears a lot of similarities to STONED JESUS' album "First Communion". The song that closes the album, "Black Hole" is a song that I'd like to bet will become a cornerstone of their set, and is a great way to finish this album.

"Pakal" is a solid debut album for KAL-EL, and I think it could take them to a whole new audience. This album showcases all of the best elements of the Stoner Rock and Metal genres; the fuzzy riffs, the beefy ones, the groove-laden guitar and bass licks, and even the more anthem-like tunes which are staples among the biggest bands in the genre. This album is well worth checking out for any Stoner fans out there who want something with the eerie vocals of BLACK SABBATH coupled with the music of bands like ELECTRIC WIZARD and ORANGE GOBLIN. Keep an eye out for these guys; their future looks VERY bright.