Usually I am not too fond of stoner type music in combination with typical eighties metal vocals. But when a voice has the vocal coloration of Robert Plant, it’s something completely different. The Quill has proceeded in the same way as their last album Voodoo Caravan - which is still in my top 10 of 2002 - very successfully.

With adding even more variation, they have succeeded to develop their own recognisable sound with a mix of all kinds of seventies influences from Black Sabbath to Led Zeppelin. With the pretty complex, yet solid bass and drums, there is a swingin’ base for the guitar to both growl and howl.

This also creates space for some unconventional vocal lines, without ending in chaos.

The production is massive, although I can imagine the drums (snare and cymbals) sometimes being too prominent for some listeners. The songs themselves range from heavy stumpin’ to psychedelic floating, with intermezzos, breaks, and timing that come close to perfection. One song needs to be mentioned separately: “Hammerhead”, a masterpiece that can cause a wet dream for Jimmy Page fans. The Quill will surely be in my top ten of 2003.