CRIPTA BLUE are bringing classic sounding hazy riffs into the new age with their debut self-titled album. A modern spin on the time-tested Stoner Rock sound packs a groovy punch. The Italian rocker trio adds a heavy Doom touch to psychedelic blues that sounded great in 1970 when BLACK SABBATH released their first album and still sounds great today.

"Mournin' Pire" dives straight in with the fuzzy guitars and a snare hit bringing the album to life. The tone of the guitars and the warmth naturalistic drum sound give the impression this album was recorded straight from the seventies. the music comes through like smoke, thick and heavy, whilst dancing through the air delicately. The song drops out and leaves us stewing in the fuzzy bass tones and echoing feedback, the band builds atmosphere masterfully with its crescendo tones and volume, built from the instruments they're playing, doing it the natural, practical way.

Picking up the pace, "Magickal Ride" has a nice quick riff and drums to match, the vocals quickening to match the sound is reminiscent of post punk bands like The Smiths, but with those warm fuzzy guitar tones that make it strictly CRIPTA BLUE. The electronic sounding guitar solo takes the song to new heights, and as the drums fade to just flurries of crashes, and the guitar dips in and out I was drawn into the spacey, reality bending atmosphere this section had created. Returning to the high energy, fast paced sound from the beginning of the song, the middle section feels like a distanced fever dream.

"Spectral Highway" oozes mystery with its calming, repetitive finger picking and muted, light Tom drums. The vocals are just more than a whisper and it feels like a soundtrack to a cabalistic ritual. The lyrics paint an image of a desert lit by moonlight and the music fits this image perfectly. The psychedelic vibe is broken by the cracking of a snare build up and th muted guitar picking is replaced with powerful hazed chords and the drums become a crashing force of destruction. This structure is repeated until the final minute of the track, here we see the guitar become a running melody line giving perfect opportunity for some air guitar and face pulling, with the drums upping to double time and throwing in some great fills.

CRIPTA BLUE's endeavour to bring together elements of classic and Stoner Rock, Doom and Psychedelic is handled amazingly well with this S/T first release that flows through its inspired genres with delicate ease, delivering a mixed bag of sounds in a neatly packaged gift to the ears. Great song writing and atmosphere prevent the similar sounding songs from ever getting repetitive and the instrumentation provides deep levels of intensity, groove and soul.