I woke, late, bleary eyed, and in need of a bucket of coffee. I reached for the long awaited Mojobone album Cowboy Mode and pressed play. Within seconds of its opener “Over The Hills,” a riff powerful enough to re-energise the entire neighbourhood, my day had been rescued.
In 2008 Eurorock enthusiastically reviewed King Hobo’s self-titled debut album. So when Per Wiberg sent me a copy of Cowboy Mode, the latest album from another of his projects Mojobone, I just couldn’t wait to hear it.
Per is, of course, best known as the keysman for Opeth, which he joined in time for the 2003 Deliverence / Damnation tour. He appears on their Roundhouse Tapes DVD, which was also reviewed on Eurorock last year.
He has also worked with guitarist Michael Amott’s Spiritual Beggars, and has the sort of pedigree that meant Cowboy Mode leapt up out of the pile demanding attention. For it he teams up with Sky High, and Stonecake drummer Marcus Kallstrom. It proves to be one hell of a collaboration.
The album arrived innocently enough with fine, and somewhat deceptive artwork, and a title that belied the downright dark and dirty riff fest contained within. In fact Mojobone has conjured up an album that will be annoying the neighbours in these parts for some time to come.
The horribly talented Per not only covers guitars, bass, and keys, but provides the backbone of the writing and delivers some impressive vocals. Marcus adds his solid wall of percussion as well as his own credits on “Damaged Gods,” which features Michael Amott on lead guitar.
The album also benefits from guest appearances by guitarist Christopher Shorooi, vocalists Petra Kvanna, and Anna Sofi, and sax player Gustav Nygren, all of whom are spread across its ten tracks.
“Over The Hill” crashes open the door with doom heavy brilliance and a searing break from Per. A pulsing “Damaged Gods,” featuring the superb Amott on guitar, leads dramatically to “The Peacemakers." With this they switch a gear and introduce a heavy hook that just cries out for dangerous volume. Listen carefully for the hand claps.
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