It’s about to get messy in here! I first wrote about Besvärjelsen back in 2019, when I was first exposed to, and subsequently fell in love with, their brand of punk-infused stoner rock. I was very excited to hear then that the band were gearing up for another release in 2022, titled Atlas, sporting some excellent cover art once again and purporting to add even more kick to the Besvärjelsen sound. Having heard the album in full, let me tell you that the promise has been fulfilled; Atlas is an even more rowdy and groovy affair than the band’s previous releases were. “The Cardinal Ride”, which we are very proud to premiere here in full, is an excellent example of that. It is a deliciously sinister and carnal track, celebrating the unbridled energies of body, lust, and indulgence. To do, it is coupled with a fantastic video and those decidedly punk vibes mentioned above. Scroll down below for your own taste!
The band states that this track started off as a jam and I can definitely hear that. The direct and infectious drums set the stage for the bass to kick in and the guitars and vocals feel like they “latched” on top of those ideas and rhythms. This gives the track, motivated as it is by its groove section, an unstoppable sort of momentum. The video capitalizes on these lush vibes by celebrating a whirlwind of pleasure and indulgence that straddles the barrier of intercourse, ritual, and bacchanale. Add in an excellent solo, some tasteful fuzz on the guitars, and the excellent vocals that always lie at the center of Besvärjelsen’s music and you have yourself “The Cardinal Ride”.
The end result is an extremely heady track, one that captures you with its punky simplicity, lures you in further with its beefy guitars, and finishes you off with its hooks and choruses. As mentioned above, it comes to us off of Atlas, which releases today! You can head on over to the band’s Bandcamp to grab it.