Tidal Shock – Riffs of Ha

Release date: 16 November 2024
Label: Self-release

Intro

Hailing from Greece, instrumental space rock trio Tidal Shock promise to deliver cosmic riffs and heavy grooves. The three came together in 2018 due to a mutual appreciation of loud and fuzzy rock and roll. It wasn’t long before this love of music turned into the creation of their first EP, 2019’s Black Hole Genesis. Soon after this, organized themselves, the group went on their first tour. Later, they even secured a slot at Chania Rock Festival in 2022, supporting 1000mods, a personal favorite of the band. With this experience under their belts, Tidal Shock are now proud to release their first album, Riffs of Ha.

The Album

With a crashing of cymbals, Collimation Refractor opens the album, followed quickly by a meandering riff that pulls you in. The guitars are played with such ferocity that you can almost hear the smoke coming off of swift fingers. The drums are just as powerful, the bass barely holding the two at bay until both stop, ending the track. Next, Umbra Planetae introduces itself with a more calm series of riffs, restrained but always on the verge of bursting out. The slamming drums seem to egg on the guitar and eventually it gives in, all fuzz and grit. Midway through, a brief pause changes up the rhythm to a funky desert vibe that rolls and cascades to the end.

Variable Star is sparse without drums at first, the riff almost questioning its existence until it falls into place. The space vibes are definitely present here, the repetitive guitars swirling above the steady drum beat. After this, Interstellar Orbiter picks up where the previous left off, a lovely riff played over slightly muted drums. It isn’t long, though, before the song delivers a psych-out, exploding into a flurry of notes from the guitar, the drums and bass both doing their best just to keep up. More desert vibes are present here, and it’s hard to believe the track is only half over before another change-up. Hard-rocking, guitar shredding, wandering but never straying too far, this track is a killer that really wakes you up.

Next, Caplan Thruster refuses to hold your hand, fingers flying along the frets and drums beating down hard. There comes a period where everything relaxes, but there’s a tension burning underneath, the bass playing alongside the guitar. Finally, the tension releases, and the fuzzy, sizzling guitar breaks free, slowly revving up to a fiery conclusion. The last track on the album, the eponymous Riffs of Ha, begins with an interesting riff, held up by hollow drum beats and minor accompaniment from the bass. Soon, the vibe changes to something harder, the guitar, bass, and drums all doing their own thing yet harmonizing simultaneously. There are a variety of changes after this, each coming with their own set of riffs and beats, mixing and blending to create a stellar soundscape. Slowly, the trio winds down, finding a solid place to stop, finishing off the album.

A Final Word

Tidal Shock may be fairly new, but their sound has some serious polish, impressive licks laid down beside powerful beats. Riffs of Ha is an impressive album, each song better than the last, and easily played top to bottom twice over or more. This band is one to not sleep on if you have an interest in space rock or anything psych adjacent. Hopefully, Tidal Shock will be around for quite a while, as their next release is already warmly anticipated.

Line up:

• Giorgos (he/him) – Guitars
• Alex (he/him) – Bass
• Beppe (he/him) – Drums

Links:

Official
Bandcamp
Facebook