Greenleaf Rise Above the Meadow

Greenleaf are known for interweaving playfully progressive parts that melt into thunderous riffing, while taking their classic stoner foundation onto weird and wonderful new paths. Greenleaf have been invading your dreams for well over a decade, and are now releasing their sixth album, Rise Above The Meadow, on February 26 via Napalm Records.

The long-running-but-recently-more-actively-touring outfit issued their fifth outing, Trails and Passes, in 2014 via Small Stone, and in addition to being their debut on Napalm Records, Rise Above the Meadow‘s quick turnaround time of two years will match the shortest of the band’s career, which taken in context with all the touring they’ve done lately and will continue to do up to and through the new record’s release (with Clutch first and with labelmates My Sleeping Karma and Mammoth Mammoth after that) only emphasizes how much of a full-time act they’ve become.

Add to that that this will be their first album without Bengt Bäcke on bass, who along with guitarist Tommi Holappa was for years a calm center in a tempest of lineup changes, and their second with vocalist Arvid Jonsson, and the potential for development in a group dynamic is many-layered. Fortunately they’re beginning from one of heavy rock and roll’s most reliable starting points, which is Holappa‘s songwriting.

Cover art for this one is by Sebastian Jerke, who seems to have become something of an in-house presence for Napalm (and deservedly so), also doing choice 2015 covers for Ahab and My Sleeping Karma.

Members:

Tommi Holappa - Guitar

Sebastian Olsson - Drums

Hans Fröhlich - Bass

Arvid Jonsson - Vocals

1. A Million Fireflies
2. Funeral Pyre
3. Howl
4. Golden Throne
5. Carry Out The Ribbons
6. Levitate And Bow (Pt. 1 & 2)
7. You're Gonna Be My Ruin
8. Tyrants Tongue
9. Pilgrims
10. High And Low (Bonus Track)