Slope are a five-headed funk machine who came steaming out of Duisburg, Germany in 2014 and drew favourable comparisons with the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers. In the following decade the band have drawn on a wider range of influences, incorporating everything from rock to rap, whilst honing their sound into a tight ball of aggression. Their sophomore album, Freak Dreams, continues the good work of their debut and should propel the band towards the biggest stages.
Such is the invention to be found on opening track ‘Talk Big’ that it reminds me a little of pioneers Funkadelic, but make no mistake this is no mere facsimile and is fully update and primed for 2024. Yet, in many ways Slope can be seen as the natural successors Funkadelic and they are moving forward with the same kind of revolutionary zeal. ‘Talk Big’ (and, indeed, the whole album) is a melting pot of infectious grooves, funky basslines and monstrous riffs, while the lyrics are delivered with machine gun rapidity. It’s a heady concoction, make no mistake, and one which is on a mission to scramble your brain (but in the best possible way, of course). With insane time changes and unorthodox signatures, ‘It’s Tickin’’ follows and seems to alter the very fabric of time, and not since Eric Dolphy’s 1964 album Out To Lunch! have I heard artists mix rhythms with such aplomb, and like a seven handed clock, ‘It’s Tickin’’ points in several directions at once.
With lyrics that focus on internal struggles and their views on external strife, Slope have created the perfect vehicle for these subjects with their incendiary sound. Something magical happens when the band lock in together to deliver those kick-ass riffs, and with a sound that constantly ululates, there are plenty of those moments to be found. It is impossible to sit still when the band crank out cuts such as ‘Chasing Highs’ and ‘Hectic Life’, and like a cattle prod to the cranium, demands you shake your body. It’s obvious why the band have become firm favourites on the live circuit and have destroyed stages supporting luminaries such as Madball, Terror and Turnstile. The band have a definite crossover appeal and ‘True Blue’ will appeal equally to metalheads and punks, while the pure hardcore blast of closer ‘Out Of The Blue Into The Black’ is a skin-stripper that seethes with pure rage and, like each of these twelve tracks, makes the perfect soundtrack for civil disobedience.
Judging by their lyrics and music, Slope are pissed off and they want the world to know it, yet the overarching feeling of this album is one of unity and hope. From their early incarnation as Red Hot Chili Peppers devotees, Slope have evolved into something refreshingly original on their sophomore album, and long may that continue.
- Freak Dreams is released via Century Media on 2nd February 2024.
- Official Website / Facebook / Instagram
Track List:
- Talk Big
- It’s Tickin’
- Chasing Highs
- Nosedives
- Hectic Life
- It’s Always You (Interlude)
- True Blue
- NBQ
- WHY SAD
- Ain’t Easy
- Freak Dreams
- Out Of The Blue Into The Black
