December 10, 2021 by A.S. Van Dorston

Norwegian hard psych rockers ride a peak on their sixth album.

Norway’s Spidergawd were formed in 2013, and includes the rhythm section of psych prog legends Motorpsycho. Spidergawd eschews the prog for more balls-out hard rock/psych along the lines of early stoner psych pioneers Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu. Their self-titled album came out to little fanfare in 2014, and here we are, just seven years later and they’re already on their sixth album. You don’t see that kind of prolific consistence these days, outside of, of course, Motorpsycho.

So far their latest is a strong entry, but doesn’t quite surpass highwater mark V (2019). Not that there is a ton of difference between their albums, which for the most part are party rock packed with riffs, hooks, and unsentimental, sometimes silly lyrics, plus a saxophone. V is their most progressive, relatively, and there’s a full review of that below. Leading up to that, IV (2017) was their strongest. While on the surface they could seem “samey,” close listens always unpack more. The secret is, despite their seemingly modest goals, these guys ARE virtuosos. They just keep the song lengths disciplined, the structures deceptively simple, but the songs very immediate and memorable. “Is This Love..?” could be a hybrid of Van Halen, Monster Magnet and Foo Fighters. All the best parts, of course, with the agility to be able to poignantly depict heartbreak and celebrate freedom. “What Have You Become” is another near-perfect adrenaline rush of a windows-down rocker. While the songs seem to fly by, they’re not all super short, with two at five and a half minutes and “What Must Come To Pass” stretching out to 8:17, playing with their psych prog roots a bit with an extended, majestic solo (their 2014 debut album featured the 14:25 long “Empty Rooms”). Okay, so they show off a little bit.

A lot of people are starving for some hard rock that isn’t moronic, whiny or douchey, and they’ve given up on finding something fun and colorful that manages to have both dumb riffs and clever songs. It seems the wagons have been circling for years, trying to isolate and starve out satisfying, driving hard rock. Many have given up. They just haven’t heard Spidergawd yet. Also, there’s a healthy underground network of blogs and sites that focus on sub-genres like stoner/doom/psych/prog, and all the kinds of extreme metal. While Spidergawd may sometimes get a nod from the psych/prog fans having previously shared a member with Motorpsycho, they’re not mainstream enough to get on the radar of some of the middle-aged rock fans, or the odd Swedish AOR scene, which saw a surge of recent releases by W.E.T., Eclipse, Crazy Lixx, Nestor, Cruzh and Seventh Crystal. They’re missing out — Spidergawd VI is the cream of this year’s crop of top quality hard rock that is not overproduced like so many are, including The Vintage Caravan, Dunbarrow, Lucifer and Khirki, and haven’t written a dud song on any of their six albums.

Of the many standout tracks is “Into the Deep Serene,” which features a majestic Celtic guitar melody with second guitar harmony worthy of top tier Thin Lizzy. Single “At Rainbows End” also has a Celtic touch, but more subtle, featuring a memorable vocal melody. Second single “Prototype Design” is a ripper, galloping out the gate like an early Maiden tune, but with a slightly more bluesy swing. “Yours Truly” is built on a truly unique guitar riff that stands out as one of their best. “Narcissus’ Eye” has a menacing, chugging pace that reminds me of prime Dio-era Black Sabbath.

VI is a strong contender for their best album, and while I still slightly favor V, I wouldn’t be surprised if many fans rank this at the top. You really can’t go wrong with any of their albums. | Buy

The Six Album Run Club

Congratulations to Spidergawd for making it to the six album run club. Exclusive because it’s no easy task to make six great albums in a row without a dud or at least relative disappointment. You’ll find no disappointment, no regrets, no filler. Just killer, satisfying hard psych rock. Currently in the 21st century list this places them with good company, like The Lord Weird Slough Feg, Mastodon and Dungen.

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