I present you Skraeckoedlan. This Swedish band is planning a rebirth with the international re-release of their 2011 debut album Äppelträdet. The initial release has set the bar for the Swedish stoner scene and kicked off the start of a new age, and made copies of the original album a hidden treasure ever since. Recorded in Truckfighters‘ Studio Bombshelter in 2010, and now ready to be redistributed on CD and vinyl once again. A milestone for the Swedish stoner scene to be relived, for sure.

With this reissue they announce the end of their hibernation, ready to fight one hell of an interplanetary jetlag, and the start of their reinvented selves. Transitioning from a quartet to a trio, while still singing in their native tongue, which fits their songs about mythological entities and cosmic marvels just perfectly. Why a reissue of the album? This is what they had to say about it:

The reissue of ‘Äppelträdet’ is, in a somewhat allegorical sense, a celebration of what has been and to a certain extent of what still is, but also serves as a kind of bridge to what will be. These are our roots and they grow deep.

We get beamed up to our prehistoric space opera with Världarnas Fall, which sets the tone for the rest of the album accordingly. In Soluppgång they go for an English approach and they show they have wide range of vocal skills, from clean to a very burly and back. It follows the first one up as if it was an extension of the previous, which can be said by most of the album. A great asset to keep you in the groove. Chronos takes you on an instrumental cruise through the cosmos as an honorary intro to the tittle song, Äppelträder. A song truly worthy to be the tittle song, dazzling yet powerful melodies in the guitar riffs and with the vocals switching back to Swedish you find yourself back in the woods with all kind of fey creatures.

With Haven we get reignited with that extra spark of energy, with a somewhat ‘punk rock’-like atmosphere to it at some moments. But don’t get to juvenile, because Doedaroedlan will get you back in the heavy flow with its deep bass line but still ethereal vocals. We get another shot of pure energy after that one, while we take our van, bus, motorbike or even kayak through the Universe as we sing along with its lyrics that will stick in your head for quite a while. A voice bellows through cathedral halls as the Cactus‘ sting makes you unable to sit still to. These birds from Fågelsång take you to higher places in ways you only could express in Swedish. To finish this album with Rokh, another heavy groove as we come back crash-landing into earth.

An album deserving to be part of stoner metal history and worthy to be released twice. If you like heavy riffs that will take you on an intergalactic expedition, and grooves so deep they could rearrange tectonic plates this is an album for you. You can find the 2011 release here already, but as you can hear, this is an album that should be listened to on vinyl which will be back, October 12th.

Release date: 12 October 2018
Label: The Sign Records
Tracklist:
1. Världarnas Fall
2. Soluppgång
3. Chronos
4. Äppelträdet
5. Haven
6. Doedaroedlan
7. Universe
8. Cactus
9. Fågelsång
10. Rokh