Mountain Songs
If you're a sucker for bluesy psych with moments of hammond beauty, plenty of groove arrangements and some heavy guitar thunder. Then this single, though the short running time of these two tracks “Mountain I” and “Mountain II” will leave you wanting more, is a must-have for your collection. The songwriting is first rate and the production neat and spot-on. New vocalist Susan is a good replacement for Oskar who left last year. Personally I´d say Susan adds something extra to Siena Root’s sound here with some really powerful Linda Hoylish (Affinity) vocals. Let's hope the band put together another full-length CD soon.
Cosmicmasseur -Concrete Web
Siena Root is a Stockholm based band playing vintage hard rock with psych and prog nuances. They’ve got a nice, heavy and bluesy sound. After the debut album A New Day Dawning the band has gone through a metamorphosis, the most obvious result being the beautiful female singer Sanya who has a great, soulful blues voice. A bit like Maggie Bell or Janis Joplin without the Whiskey and opiates. There are two tracks on this single, “Mountain I” and “Mountain II”. The A side is groovy stuff equipped with heavy guitars and organs. Deep Purple or Mountain comes to mind, a bit. Sounds good! “Mountain II” is a more bluesy number reminding me of the best blues pieces of Led Zeppelin. Nice effects on the vocals. This does make you drool for the band’s second album that has already been recorded. This is decent 70’s rock that works.
Dj Astro- Psychotropic Zone
For me these two tracks show a group with a definite and convincing early 70’s sound. The female heavy soulful rocksinger with group, has a kind of inner progressing direction and drive of power roots derived from bluesrock, comparable to a group like Led Zeppelin, but then with a female singer, and with a more straight forward hard-rocking drive, with its own rhythmical variations on "Mountain I", and with a strong soul-hardrock energy on "Mountain II". The single is a teaser for what can be expected on the group’s next (second) release. Promising!
***/****- http://progressive.homestead.com/sweden2.html
Last year Siena Root released their debut album through Rage of Achilles records. Before some days I received the promotional copy of their new 7" with the title "Mountain Songs". In this release you will find two tracks and about eleven minutes of pure 70s rock music. The two tracks have the simple titles: "Mountain I" and "Mountain II" and they travel us to the rock music of the 70s with a lot of melodies, some psychedelic elements, especially in the second track and very beautiful female vocals. As I know the band has already recorded their new album so we will wait until the release date in order to have the full picture of the music from Siena Root and don't forget that they come from Sweden, so the quality is definitely here! I am not sure if this 7" will be released as a CD single but I am sure that it is a good reason to find your vinyl player if you put it the attic.
Antonis Maglaras -Behind The Veil
No no no, no MOUNTAIN covers on this two track cd-single, just two songs called "Mountain I" and "Mountain II", which is originally released as a 7 inch. SIENA ROOT go back into the 70ties. A good groove on "Mountain I" and a good dash of psychedelic on "Mountain II", a Hammond and female vocals that's the receipt of SIENA ROOT. It´s so good that there are nowadays bands that sounds so 70ties style. I can tell ya I dig the 70ties sound and I dig SIENA ROOT. It´s so shitty that they played this year back in summer at the Herzberg Festival and I wasn´t there. Normally I´m every year there… except last summer, damned! I´m looking forward to get there next full length record which is finally recorded, in the meantime I´ll climb some mountains.
MS -Daredevil
For those who love 70's influenced hard rock, Siena Root's 2004 debut, A New Day Dawning (see review this issue), was a stunning set of guitar and organ driven rock, with powerful, soulful vocals which come across as a glom of Deep Purple, Traffic and other similar heavy soul psych rocking bands. A bluesy hard rock, psychedelic-progressive rocking good time. Since the first album was recorded Siena Root have undergone some significant lineup changes, only to emerge as an equally, if not more powerful rocking force. Oskar Lundstrom, whose organ and vocals graced the first album, has left the band. His vocal replacement is Sanya, and the change in gender, with no compromising on potency and passion, has given a real kick to the music. In addition, guitarist KG West has transitioned to organ.
Mountain Songs is a 2 song 7" teaser intended to prepare the world for the next full length Siena Root album, and also to give vinyl junkies a tasty chunk of wax to add to their collections. "Mountain I" is the A-side tune, a kick ass bluesy soulful hard rocker, firmly in the characteristic Siena Root brand of 70's styled rock. And as my first exposure to Sanya's vocals I was pretty well blown away by this dynamo singer. Like a mixture of Tina Turner and Bonnie Raitt. "Mountain II" is the B-side and is a slow, stoned blues-psych jam, like Hendrix or Robin Trower with organ and a soulful female singer. Wow, what an amazing band. I'll be waiting impatiently for the new full length.
Jerry Kranitz -Aural Innovations
A two track single CD from a Swedish fourpiece, to get their audience curious about their second full-length album. At first some Deep Purple with a bit of seventies acid influences can be heard. A catchy riff and that typical keyboard sound. However, when the female vocals mingle with this very predictable, but well performed standard arrangement, the song gets it’s own identity. With the second track, the band expresses some different qualities: acid influences start to rule in a superior role. Hypnotic themes come close to Atomic Bitchwax, and other psychedelic stoner facilities. The mix and production are excellent, and the vocals which were effective on the first track, are lifting the song to higher level. A voice can be a very emotional instrument, but rarely used in this way: well this is how it should be done. The arrangements could have been worked out more towards a real climax, but despite this minor detail, I am curious for the new album.
Rate: 7,5/10
Cor -Gothtronic
It doesn't occur much that I find a blues rock CD on my doormat but when it does I do can appreciate it. Recently I received a CD single from Siena Root called 'Mountain Songs' with two songs on it and this single is meant as an appetizer, it should make me 'impatient' for their next album, or so the press announcement tells me. Maybe that's a bit too optimistic but the music does sound tasteful. The Swedish band released their debut album 'A New Day Dawning' last year which was well received. The band has a new singer with Sanya now and I hear some similarities with our own Anouk from The Hague. The songs 'Mountain I' and 'Mountain II' reveal the musicality of Siena Root perfectly; groovy blues rock with strong vocals. Really nice but just when you get into it the CD stops. But to say I'm impatient now? Well…ok a bit.
Rate: 80/100
Winston -Lords of Metal