Gramma Vedetta - The Hum Of The Machine (Album Review)

So what is a collective anyway? Well, we started this thing as loose ‘gang’ of friendly bands from the London scene, all very broadly within the wider heavy, melodic, energetic riff-based rock, built with some degree of reference and nostalgia for the old 90s heavy grunge and stoner styles of yesteryear. Now, the four main bands who originally came together back in 2019 were Desert Clouds, Empty Friend, Gramma Vedetta and Aliceissleeping. These band members really ‘got’ the idea of what we were trying to do, and understood the potential of it right away. Other bands have variously come and gone (Elbrano), dipped in and out, here and there (many), some have supported enthusiastically from afar and as much as they can (Coastal Fire Dept. & Black Monsoon), and others have stopped by to play and support us just because they are cool people (Psychlona, Trevor’s Head etc). Some other bands we love, but just haven’t played for us in a little while after the trials of Covid (This Summit Fever, Imaginary Dreamers, Superseed, Gutterflower and too many others to mention!), and really quite a long list of bands are still waiting to play in the coming years. So there is no hard and fast rule to being part of this collective, and people can contribute what they can, when they can. But the core bands have really put a lot of their time and love into the project and I must again thank them for giving so freely to this idea, to this dream I originally had some years ago. No idea gets anywhere without, energy, sacrifice and PEOPLE – people who care.

Now, this brings me neatly back to Gramma Vedetta. These guys are releasing their debut full-length album ‘The Hum of the Machine’ later this week on 27 May, and we’re super excited to see the reception that it gets. They are humble, kind people, decent people. That much was obvious to me from my first meeting with them back in 2018 or so, and my respect for them has only grown and grown over time. Old school friends from Sardinia, Marco and Dan are a power-duo with a deep understanding of each other as people, and musically from many years playing together. As I’ve written before, Dan is statesmanlike on stage in a kind of Jimmy Page way, too gifted a guitarist to cheapen his performance with cheap theatrics, playing with a burning focus and a cheeky smile, with his luxurious flowing hair sweeping left and right when the riffs bed in. Marco, on the other hand, is a bouncing ball of energy and positivity, never lacking in kindness or enthusiasm whatever happens in life or mid-show. On stage he is mercurial and loves performing, his real-life vibrancy matching his accomplished and varied bass playing. On the drums side, a few members have come and gone in recent years but they have really found something special in Paul Annis – a veteran player from Kent (who I would like to know better) who seems really cool, and plays with a good balance of power and style. Plus, beyond his skill on the kit, he comes with the additional asset (if you will) of his superb tech & home studio – as anyone who’s seen their live streams will agree. He seems the real deal and I’m delighted for these lads, as they work HARD in the scene, at shows, in songwriting, in recording, and it shows.

Their style has grown more expansive and ambitious over time, moving beyond the confines of grunge and stoner, and ‘The Hum of the Machine’ shows this in myriad ways. It’s not a concept album exactly, but there is a definite thread running through it of futuristic dystopias and alternate realities.

The album comes out of the blocks with ‘A Chance To Win The Orb’ – a gritty, angry, frustrated sounding song with a strong main riff and chorus refrain. The guitar sound is rich with distortion, clever and appropriate overdubs, and changing ethereal sections later in the track where the bass and drums get to show some subtlety. The vocals are excellent. Some psychedelic whispers tease away in the backgrounds. Then BAM it’s back. Furious drumming and riffs bring the track to a close. The stage is set beautifully, with circus sounds leading us into the next track…

‘Starlight Portal Show’ is a straight up banger, and the riff is irresistible, bringing some ‘fun’ back into things after the intensity of the first track (if you haven’t seen the music video – check it out!). ‘Welcome to the Show!’ This conjures up a kind of stoner/classic rock version of Sergeant Peppers to me, in a good way. Guitar, bass and drums really lay into this riff and it’s so easy on the ear. ‘We know what you like, what’s not to like?’ The chorus and riff is a great earworm. Wait, what’s that child’s voice? These guys are clearly flying and have ideas coming from all angles, very confident. The mid-section changes and morphs and keeps you guessing. Is there a bell chiming too? Key change! The furious riffs continue unabated. You can tell they’re enjoying this. ‘Don’t forget to recommend us to your friends!’. This song really translates live as well, as I can attest from one of it’s first airings a while back that I remember at the Black Heart. The rock out has real girth to it as well, enough for even the most ardent rocker. Great track, with some whimsical vocals at the end.

They follow this up with another undeniable banger ‘Robots For War’ – they have a talent for these catchy and relatable riffs. Cool vocals with some filters and some intriguing lyrics, then back with the powerful chorus. Have that. ‘We are all Robots…fooooor War!’ Guitars are on fire, tasteful drums and bass keep the track grooving along. This is, and will surely continue to be, and crowd pleaser for these guys in their live sets. Dan’s solo section takes off and channels energy and blues before segueing into a cool 70s-80s retro effect worthy of Pink Floyd, then brass sections drive the song’s tension further and further up and up. I mentioned confidence before – this song screams of a band having fun with what they do, not worried about criticism, and with an extra ‘robot chorus’ built from vocals from other bandmembers and friends from the scene, which was a really classy and collaborative thing to do.

‘A Broken Time Machine’ is a nice change of tempo and style from the last two. Very psychedelic and retro in flavour. Some nice discordant parts and a slow burning vibe here, very chill, time to roll up and kick back here and to catch your breath. Wistful and slightly melancholic but enjoyable, with cool vocals and a kind of panpipe/synth going on in the background. If you had thought this band might have done this a few years back, I’d say no way, but here it is, and it totally works.

‘The Electric Game’ opens with gnarly feedback and some driving drums and guitar/bass riffs punctuating a new, syncopated type groove. More of that late 70s / early 80s rock style, at least to my ear. Marco gets a moment to open up on the bass with a cool groove before the band kick in with a driving heavy section, all pushing in the same direction in a heavy mid-pace. The chorus vocals drive things forward and guitars remain relentless. You can’t help but enjoy the exposed bass sections, each time just long enough before the band comes crashing back in. ‘We will celebrate your death.’ ‘It’s the system really fucking with your brain’. The lyrics are not messing around either. Oooh. A tasty riff off at the end, with real punch, forcing you to nod your head. Very well done. And an older guitar solo section that I recall popping up here in a new context, that fits perfectly. It’s really tasteful.

‘The Future of The Past’ continues with the futuristic sci-fi motif. Opening with a big exposed vocal, then a gigantic riff drop, it shows you where this is going right away. An insistent punctuated rhythm takes things away. ‘Took a trip down memory lane, I was tired of this world…’ I like this. Again, there is a sense of disillusionment and escapism in the best traditions of rock and roll. It’s like, ‘fuck this place – I’m done’. Thunderous drums and bass pulsing in and out of the groove. It’s very well put together and very well thought out. Some very big vocals at the end as the song reaches its crescendo, and a hospital heart-rate monitor somewhere in the mix? Some very clever radio static brings a final stop – as the heart-rate monitor flat lines and a new, eerie female voice tells us – ‘we lost him’. Damn!

‘Transmission’s On’ opens with a looming, chiming bell and some futuristic synth. Then a foreboding floor tom, droning bass and minor chords from Dan’s guitar. This is very dystopian in outlook, musically speaking. The track drags you in close, then brings a robotic vocal to deliver the message. ‘It’s the price of freedom – they don’t want me in their club’. This has a touch of Rush about it, dragging the rhythm about here and there. Then. Gnarly guitars in full effect. This songs is 7.16 in length, a proper odyssey. The sections are so clever. So unsettling. ‘Our life has changed so dramatically.’ The main groove is really solid, but shifts again around 5.00 and opens up into an expansive solo, more changes and punctuation. The bass and drums step up to meet it in volume and intensity. Some weird unsettling screaming or something like that floats in the background. Then a proper doomy beatdown at the end to wrap up the whole voyage. I honestly don’t know how they fit so much into a song.

‘The General Magnetic and The Spanish Wormhole’ opens with Marco leading the charge with a tasteful, groove-laden bass riff, with Dan putting some cool David Gilmour lead lines behind it. Then a big, giant, dark riff arrives and changes the whole context. This is heavy. Very heavy. Nice work lads! But still tons of inventiveness and creativity. They have put so much into this album, it occurs to me. Really poured their hearts and souls. The drop around 2:55 is a joy to hear, heaviness in abundance. They have so much to say musically. A Nasa-style countdown voice counts us down to lift-off. The drumming is extremely demanding, progressive and varied, so credit must be given there. Dan’s lead guitar soars and wails as the track lifts and changes, only taking the foot off the gas right at the end.

Album closer ‘I Feel The Comfort (The Hum of the Machine)’ begins with a very moving & evocative short guitar and bass duet, before Dan’s vocals trippy & psychedelic drop. I really love this guitar part, it might even be my favourite non-riff part of the whole album. I just wish there was more of it, as it conveys so much emotion, but this album gives you what THEY want, not what you want. It is their vision. Then after a moment’s silence the big vocals, prominent guitars and hard drumming arrives. When Dan transitions to his higher range at 1:45 you can tell that he is a proper singer in his own right, not just a guitarist – it’s lovely and powerful. Around 2:20 there is a gear-shift as GV move into a whole new area and a whole new riff. There is no one else in our scene writing music like this. Even the synths, which I don’t usually love, I’ll admit, work in the context as a splash of flavour before the groove comes back. There is a breadth of expression to this album that really takes me back – I won’t say surprises me as I know these guys and what they can do. Then the track, and the album, closes with that amazing guitar & bass part, subverted at the very end as one final act of rebellion and flagellation in their own futuristic world. And bang. It’s over.

This is one hell of a contribution and a giant step forward sonically for Gramma Vedetta. That they self-recorded this incredibly eccentric and enjoyable album shows just how many other skills this trio have at their disposal. These guys are great rock musicians, and they have been steadily developing an audience outside of London with some touring in recent years (and their reception has been excellent as I hear, and rightly so). Not only this, but in London they turn up to support friends playing elsewhere, they care about what happens in our scene, they put their time in, and they show up. I write this review, today, as objectively and fairly as I can, but I am proud to say that these lads are also my close friends and that I wish them every success with this album, and in life. They are real people, honourable people, and more than anything – THEY DESERVE IT.

DK - 22/05/2022