CRANEIUM formed in 2011 in Turku, Finland, had released two previous full-length albums "Explore the Void" in 2015 and "The Narrow Line" in 2018 (both on Ripple Music). Under a new record label (Sign Records) have released "Unknown Heights", and despite being available since October 15, 2021, have just now issued a couple singles thus bringing attention to their latest effort and gathering reviews. Labeled as stoner rock that breathes 70's heavy metal and 90's desert psychedelia with hard driving melody and a dark attitude to create their unique sound and adding this quote from their website: "We've been working towards this for the last 2-3 years or so, we finally feel that we have captured the music in a way that we haven't before. Our song writing is better, the recording is better and we've had more time than before to really make this one our best so far! The contrast of clean and dreamy with huge heavy choruses has become somewhat of a CRANEIUM trademark, but we really think these songs has something for all kinds of listeners, we'd dare to say that we are not your everyday stoner rock band."

Opening with a dark, slow-paced melody on "Secret Garden" giving way to a funk, psych laden groove aided by pleasant, laid-back vocals that maintain a steady flow throughout. Keep those joints lit heading into "Somber Aeons" with fizzy guitar riffs over hypnotizing drum backbeat and sludgy and gruff tones that toys with some heaviness but stays true to course and ends with spoken words that give an eerie, dark ending. "Weight to Carry" is the albums longest song at over eight minutes and although takes us on a roller coaster ride of tempos and melody twists and turns, seems to drag along at a snail's pace with a dissonant and unbalanced sound. "Shine Again" and "The Devil Drives" are both appealing and engrossing enough but lack substance and energy and just seem to meander. The album does end strong with a PINK FLOYD feel on a true stoner song "Unknown Heights", starting out slow and somber but brought home with a quite fierce guitar solo.

It definitely won't have you headbanging, but all in all, it's a pretty good effort from CRANEIUM, their songs deliver spiritual and heartfelt lyrics brought to the forefront with warm, sober vocals, and musically they are both tight and fluid. This album invites you to light a few candles, turn on the lava lamp, pop a few edible gummies and escape into a distant new world.