Overload (2020)

Tape Shapes

Alternative, Stoner, Grunge

Hamburg. Kind of the birthplace of The Beatles. Home to big Hip Hop and Indie acts. And to big Stoner sound as well, like High Fighter, not to be confused with High On Fire, or another name, that immediately makes think of the good old-fashioned way of trading music.

After three EPs, Tape Shapes present their new record “Overload”. From the cover, you can tell for quite sure that you’ll be about to hear some relaxing Psychedelic Fuzz Rock: a woman with flowers in the front, a goat and the moon and stars in the back, all elements are there, plus the name in Jugendstil font.

But there’s even more in it, as the band comes from a “crunchy alternative” segment. That is why from the first moment, you might feel reminded of great bands like Wolfmother or Blues Pills. The vocals of singer Laura are strong and convertible, what brings up Fuzz Manta, Jex Thoth and also Slash featuring Fergie.

In “The Decision”, you can even hear some oriental style, while at the same time the singing line brings in the Grunge part from Chris Cornell. Basically every song is special on it’s own, like the grooving “Big Cheese”, or “Inside The Magnet”, that not only because of its title makes think of Monster Magnet, but is a track to freak out.

Another beautiful surprise is the acoustic part in the tune “Overload”. If you have this on a small or big stage doesn’t matter, as long as the sound is huge and the wind is dragging it directly to your ears and heart. It might not sound easy to switch from heavy Desert Rock to Alternative Grunge and back to classic AC/DC and The Head Cat-loaded Rock’n’Roll style, but that is exactly what Tape Shapes manages on this catchy record, that will make you move for sure.