Review – Ramon Zarate – Oyster

My experience with the Belgian stoners, Ramon Zarate, dates back to 2009, shortly after I started The Soda Shop. They were one of my first submissions for our radio when I received their self-titled debut, and the hard rocking album quickly became one of my personal favorites for the summer of 2009, and it still remains in the top tier of my favorite stoner rock albums of all time. This past November, I decided to check up on the status of the band when I discovered they had just released their second effort, Oyster in October. Of course, I was eager as Hell to get the chance to listen to their new music, and discovering a couple of new tracks, it became even more of a need than a want. Luckily, I got my fix, and I needed to share my thoughts with you all. You may thank me later.

One unfortunate thing that I’ve mentioned about a lot of bands today is they put out one good album, and that’s it. Sure, they continue to produce albums, but their sound doesn’t evolve. Once you’ve heard the one album, you’ve heard it all. Or you’ll find a band that changes too much and loses the magic they once had. Fortunately, for us all, Ramon Zarate has found a happy medium between the two and while they’ve made significant changes since their debut, they’re still a drag you down and steal your lunch money, heavy stoner rock band.

While their debut more closely resembled down-tempo hard rock, their second effort has been sped up significantly with a healthy helping of fuzz added in. The vocals have been upgraded to a more melodic sound that fits well with the new sound, and the drums have been brought down a notch to create more of an equilibrium with the vocals and guitars. Oh, and the guitars. The guitars have been unleashed with this new album which was missing from their self-titled. All of the ingredients are there for a brilliant album. Do they deliver? You bet.

Right away, the band sets the mood right and delivers the fuzz that was missing from their debut. “Monkey” hits you like a Mack truck and speeds away with your pant leg snagged on the truck, dragging your sorry ass along for the ride. Another hard rocking track, “Burning Bob”  could very well be my favorite of the album and is the track that got me wet with excitement when I first heard it. To make sure you’re paying attention, the track switches up the tempo on the verses and chorus. Consider your mind blown. The band keeps up the up-tempo barrage on your body with the self-titled track, “Eightball”, and “Losing Grace”.

What’s this? You want a little bit of psychedelic fuzz rock? Don’t worry, the band has that covered with “Cryptic Invaders”, a 6 minute and 31 second slab of heavy, fuzzed out instrumental psychedelic rock. Not to be outdone by themselves, Ramon Zarate shows they have a dark side with a doomier, spacier track with, “Shiteaters”. The track is mostly instrumental until the last minute where they speed things up and throw in some abrasive, yet fitting vocals.

“Sun” finishes the album off and reverts back to the up-tempo stoner rock from the first half of the album that abruptly ends into nothingness. Of course, you’re asking, “that’s not all, right?!” Well, you’d be correct, and patience pays off here. 3 minutes into the silence, the guys have one more gem for you with a stripped down, acoustic track.

When I first realized that Ramon Zarate had released a new album, I believed that if it was even half as good as their first, it was going to be a Hell of an album. The band does not disappoint with Oyster, and with the evolution the band’s sound has taken in the 2 years between their releases, one can only wonder what they have in store for us for their third album. Judging by this new album, I find it safe to assume our minds will be blown yet again. The biggest gripe I have about this album is that it was a grower. A very solid release from the first time I listened, it wasn’t comparable to Ramon Zarate until I gave it a few spins. Once I got used to the huge change in sounds, Oyster really came into its own. This album is highly recommended and is yet another band to add to the long list of European bands that prove America doesn’t have as much of a grasp on rock as once perceived.

You can pick up their album at one of their shows, or if you’re not lucky enough to be in Belgium, I suggest bugging them on MySpace or Facebook, below.