By Jonny Bakes
Have you found yourself getting into new hobbies to try and pass the time at home? I know I have; in fact I’ve previously written about my adventures taking up yoga, which is absolutely something I never thought I would find myself doing! But as a result, I’m no stranger to hearing the term “namaste” at the end of a session, a term that is supposed to hold a fairly sacred meaning. But that didn’t stop Ten Foot Wizard putting their own unique spin on it when they dropped their excellent leading single for their new album – ‘Namaste Dickhead’.
Manchester’s own Ten Foot Wizard, who should not be confused with the slightly taller Ninja, have been on my radar for quite a while now. They first came to my attention with the fan favourite ‘Covered in Tits’ which not only sounds like it would be a great night, is also an absolute banger. Their sexy, sleazy rock n roll sound is often compared to Clutch, which is a very fair comparison on the face of the music. However, the Ten Foot Wizard live shows are something that sets them apart with crazy stage antics, a variety of inflatables and much more that shows that they really just don’t give a fuck.
So, when I had the chance to get a first listen of ‘Get out of Your Mind’, I jumped at the chance and I have not been disappointed! It’s quite simply eight tracks of pure unadulterated balls out grooves with the usual healthy dose of Ten Foot Wizard attitude. The expected sleazy Clutch-like riffs are there, but now they’re also twisted with a little bit of extra funk just to make them even stronger contenders to be your earworm of the week. Hell, there’s probably enough energy in this album to give me enough energy to survive the first day back at work after a week-long festival, unfortunately that’s something that I’m not going to be able to put to the test for a while.
So, let’s try and pick out some of the more standout tracks for a closer look, which is not an easy feat as they’re all pretty damn good. Instead we’ll start with the first track that’ll grab your attention (unless you’re some kind of madman who listens to new albums on shuffle) – ‘Namaste Dickhead’. You’ll find yourself pretty drawn in by that riff before you even know what’s hit you, then Gary Harkin’s distinctive vocals punch you right in the face forcing you to sit up and listen. By the time you get to the screech of “namaste dickhead” at the chorus, there’s no escape and you’ve got to ride it out to the end via a great guitar solo and a healthy dose of the drummer’s ultimate tool – the cowbell. And that’s just the first track… there’s plenty more where that came from.
My other honourable mention goes to the seriously funky ‘Summer Love’, which has this really simple repetitive rhythm which threatens to build into a massive crescendo a couple of times but doesn’t quite get there – it’s a serious tease! But you know what? I’m not going to spoil it and tell you whether it does build up into the massive noise that it keeps threatening to achieve, I’ll let you find that out for yourself.
In case you hadn’t already I guessed, I seriously liked this album. It has just the right mix of outrageous attitude, serious groove and riffs so sexy that they’ve probably got their own Onlyfans page. If you’re not considering getting this album, then you should probably have a long hard think about what it is about fun that you don’t like! Obviously a must have for any fans of Clutch and other bands of the stoner rock ilk. and definitely one to make a priority to see live. Once we’re allowed to have fun again anyway.
- ‘Get Out Of Your Mind’ is released on Friday (10 July). You can get your copy HERE.
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