Kansas-based dark and soulful heavy rockers Godzillionaire return with their latest album `Diminishing Returns` this month. The quartet who comprise of Mark Hennessy (vocals), Mike Dye (bass, synth, vocals), Ben White (guitar, synth, vocals) and Cody Romaine (drums) have delivered what is probably their most eclectic, varied, and diverse album yet.
`Drowning All Night` is a fairly epic opening salvo with thumping drum tones, crashing guitar riffs and reflective vocals offering a real marker for what`s to follow. We have a more driving pounding forceful moody submission in `Boogie Johnson` which really races along.
`Spin Up Spin Down` is a delightfully thoughtful slow burn, a deep and atmospheric number with an impressive guitar solo and spoken word segments interspliced in the last half of the song. These pieces are almost intertwined with the sung vocals which encourage us to believe in each other. We have a grinding, edgy, rhythmic shade in `Astrogarden` which may be a large-scale vegetable production system that provides a sustainable way to grow fresh food for people in space and helping life support functions like water purification, carbon dioxide removal, and oxygen production. It really takes off at the midpoint into a spacey jam with the last couple of minutes containing an enraged or heated discourse.
`3rd Street Shuffle` has a funky soulful vibe and rolls along with an alluringly melodic quality. There`s an intensely contemplative synth key driven slow burn about a flawed relationship as the title suggests with `Unsustainable`.
`Common Board, Magic Nail` is a further meditative track with a regular recurring beat with a nigh on vocal stream of consciousness shared throughout. There`s a grunge like ambience to the brooding `Shadow of a Mountain` a daydreamy track to close out on.
The title `Diminishing Returns` would suggest that despite how much effort you put in, there`s a lesser end result and in life maybe that`s true but here it`s the opposite. There are songs that are so understated but really gel and I know I’ll come to appreciate the tracks shared here even more each time I return to listen.
There`s been a few bands to impress from The Sunflower State in recent years such as Kansas, Puddle of Mud and The Rainmakers and with Godzillionaire we could have our next one.
Rating 8.5/10
