Low Desert Surf Club is the third album by Fire Down Below. From the cover sight, title and the release on the California based Ripple Music label you might think we have an album of an American stoner band in our hands. But wrong, Fire Down Below is a quartet based in Ghent, Belgium with a reputation of powerful and energetic live shows. Their first two albums (Viper Vixen Goddess Saint and Hymn of the Cosmic Man) gave the Belgians a certain fame in the stoner world.
The band also decided to loosen their DIY mentality and work for the first time together with a producer. So they found Nick DiSalvo (front man of the genre-pushing band Elder) who was willing to take the job. Low Desert Surf Club contains nine tracks that were written during the confinement of the pandemic.
Instead of grieving and to be fed up about the current situation the band decided to create an album with overflowing positive vibes and moods of total freedom. Low Desert Surf Club fundamentals are stoner with neck breaking guitar riffs (Kevin Gernaey on lead guitar and Jeroen Van Troyen on guitar), a pumping rhythm section (Sam Nuytens on drums and Bert Wynsberghe on bass) and the vibrant vocals of Jeroen Van Troyen.
Fire Down Below creates energetic sensations and a rich diversity of atmospheres adding influences of several (heavy) rock genres in their song structures. We even get a big nod to legendary surf guitarist Dick Dale on the song ‘Surf Queen’ where the band fuses Dale orientated strings with heavy riffs and beautiful guitar solo work, making this song one of our favourites from the album.
Low Desert Surf Club rolls nicely like a well-oiled machine and becomes a dangerous sound ampoule while driving to exceed the speed limits without any problems. Fire Down Below indulges us with an awesome and eclectic stoner album. Low Desert Surf Club will be without exaggeration new (long lasting) dope for the fans of stoner rock/metal.
