The Dahmers - Down in the Basement (2018)

How would "today's top swedish rock 'n' roll band" sound as a title, considering the weight this statement carries? A bit out of nowhere? A piece of shameless exaggeration?

Well, it's true that there is a general outbreak in the rock 'n' roll scene out of Scandinavia and central Europe the last two decades, mainly due to bands like the Hellacopters, Turbonegro, Gluecifer, the Hives etc that emerged in the '90s. Of course quantity rarely goes hand in hand with quality and, although it's a good thing that rock 'n' roll continues to blossom screaming that it's anything but dead, at some point there comes a time that we're starting to have just a bit more than the amount of Hellacopters worship bands we actually have need for. I remember in the '90s when the Black Sabbath sound was celebrated, since they were then 20+ years old as a band and numerous tribute albums were being released amid the general worship. Well, if you think about it, it's 2019 and this is how old the Hellacopters actually are now, so it's no wonder they have reached a god status among today's scene with bands copying their sound and tribute albums coming out here and there (there are two of them being released as we speak, for instance). 

All this introduction was so that I can say that the Dahmers, although swedish rock 'n' rollers themselves, are anything but another Hellacopters copycat band, with their distinct energy and personality characterizing their every song. I can't begin to tell you how happy I was the day I discovered them and realizing what I had found. The Dahmers released their first demo back in 2012, and, apart from numerous singles and EPs, they have released two albums so far, Demons (2014) and In the Dead of Night (2017). But it wasn't until last year when they released Down in the Basement (a compilation of all their tracks off their single and EP releases) that I finally crossed paths with them. Imagine a grown man driving to work in the morning and not being able to stop talking to himself about what a great fucking band is playing from the speakers and that every song coming up is his new favourite. Well, that was me for many days after I put the Dahmers on my car playlist.

Musicwise, the Dahmers are moving successfully on so many different levels, that the final result, although subconsciously taking your mind to familiar sounds, is anything but worn out or trite. Apart from the horror punk thematic they start off with, they bring you '90s rock 'n' roll, classic punk, garage, blues, '60s pop, all at just the right proportions. How many times have you come across an album with absolutely not even a notion of a filler song? Is it possible that an 18-track album doesn't have a mediocre moment? Well apparently it is, with Down in the Basement. As I said above, every time I listen to it, I literally have a different favourite song, which usually is the song playing each time. Thus, I see no need in highlighting certain tracks, the album's flow is just perfect.

Initially, I was going to wait until the Dahmers have a new release (maybe in 2019) to write about them, since Down in the Basement is a compilation (and this is the only reason why I didn't include it in the 2018's best albums post), but their music still continues to steadily overwhelm me after all these months, and I just couldn't wait for something like that. I really have no idea how else I'm supposed to urge you to get out there and discover the Dahmers, as, if they continue like this, they are surely bound to be the next best thing in the Scandinavian rock 'n' roll scene, and, if they don't, well that would be the definition of unfair. I'm already making plans on catching them somewhere in Europe this summer where they are supporting the mighty Dwarves on several dates, as this is a dreamy lineup I don't see getting over to Greece. If they're playing somewhere close to you, don't even dream about missing that.