Silverships Reveal New Video Single “Nevermore”

Hamburg, Germany based Stoner/ Desert Rock Trio Silverships shares the second single Nevermore from their debut 10″ EP Kingdom Of Decay, out on November 22, 2024 via Tonzonen Records/ Cargo. 

New single Nevermore starts as a classic, almost conventional stoner rock song. Rhythm guitars and bass in unison push a simple, effective riff over a rolling beat. The chorus excites with strong contrasts: On the one hand the hymnic melody, on the other an apocalyptically aggressive drum beat. The lyrics deal with the demon that is fear, who experiences an initially marching, then explosive exorcism. The outro brings the song to an epic conclusion that resonates and reverberates for a long time.

The four songs of Silverships’ debut EP Kingdom Of Decay encompass all musical styles from which the band draws their inspiration. The desert rock of the 90s and 2000s forms the foundation of the trio. Many traces of Queens Of The Stone Age can be found in the songs. The heavy passages also conjure up associations to Kyuss. Soundscapes from 70s Pink Floyd also appear again and again. Light psych-pop moments of early Tame Impala are followed by dense and dark atmosphere capturing the vibe of The Doors – and would also work well as the soundtrack for a movie yet to be made.

In addition to opulent arrangements and varied songwriting, what characterizes the band is their love of B parts, always ending their songs on an exclamation point. Hauke Albrecht is the man behind the powerful production. With Mountain Witch, he produced the last bigger stoner export from Hamburg. The band was able to get BEWITCHED Graphics’ Benjamin Nickel for the artwork, whose psychedelic works have also been featured by the Reeperbahn Festival, for example.

The opener Kingdom Of Decay starts off softly. Bassist Jan Gehrmann’s hypnotic bassline floats over drummer Tim Schröter’s fluffy groove carpet, then Nils Kock’s hooky lead guitar joins in. His velvety singing tells a story of transitoriness. “And I never ever ever, never ever ever saw her again”, goes the chorus. Boy meets girl? A one unique rush experience? After the second chorus, the song’s heaviness increases: Huge fuzz guitars pick up the bassline and encourage subtle headbanging. After the lead fanfares and the bluesy solo have faded away, a mellotron lights up the song and the base riff returns, revolving, accelerating, taking off. The hook from the intro glides through the room one last time before a stoner rock bulldozer rips through the outro.

The second song is called Beast – and that’s what it sounds like. Heavy staccato beat meets dystopian-oriental guitar lines, Josh Homme meets Ennio Morricone. The lyrics deal with the “beast mode” as a protective shield against everlasting fear. “Take the wheel and drive / Get me out of here alive“, the chorus implores. Halfway through the song the B part explodes into the song. A doomy, dark riff in a back and forth with almost metal guitars. Screams, hisses and murmurs. Suddenly everything turns very quiet, before an angry solo cuts through the silence and the band launches into the final demolition.

Track number 3 Nevermore starts as a classic, almost conventional stoner rock song. Rhythm guitars and bass in unison push a simple, effective riff over a rolling beat. The chorus excites with strong contrasts: On the one hand the hymnic melody, on the other an apocalyptically aggressive drum beat. The lyrics deal with the demon that is fear, who experiences an initially marching, then explosive exorcism. The outro brings the song to an epic conclusion that resonates and reverberates for a long time.

The fourth and final song is programmatically called War Os Over. It begins with a dreamy, psychedelic intro until the band happily settles into a groove reminiscent of 70s Pink Floyd. The vocals show another color in the Silverships universe. Very softly, almost whispered, the verses paint introspective, hopeful imagery. The chorus features big choirs and elegiac melodies. As the last chorus fades away, the basic musical theme of the song is built up bit by bit, repeat by repeat, into an ever- growing wall. Everything culminates in rushing space rock, with two solo guitars intertwining and finally ending the EP with a grand gesture of prog-like cascades.

Overall, Silverships‘ Kingdom Of Decay is a surprisingly fleshed out debut record. No wheels are reinvented, but many different influences and references are interweaved into a very harmonious and surprising combination. The result is a varied, yet homogeneous debut EP that leaves the listener curious about what’s to come next.