When I first heard of Hugenelk and listened to a song on their Myspace I was instantly hooked. Then when I found that their album could be purchased electronically on bandcamp.com for a starting price of only $3, I knew I had to buy it. These guys have managed to craft a solid, bluesy stoner metal album that will remind you of leaders in the genre like Monster Magnet, Spiritual Beggars, and Black Sabbath among others. They have clearly been influenced by these and others, and the fact that they have self-produced and self-released such a mature sounding album is extraordinary. They don't break any new ground with this release, but they do show that they are devoted to catchy, guitar-driven tunes that have a great sound.

The first track, Sunken Treasure, reminds me of another band I really like called Year Long Disaster, especially the vocals of frontman Alex Gidora. The riffs are also very energetic and really make you want to move and sing along. What In Tarnation is similar with plenty of wailing guitars and heavy riffs. The opening riff of Bring Me The Magician also has a strong Year Long Disaster resemblance, and I have to wonder if Hugenelk have been influenced by them. Bassist Andrew Carey gets a bit more creative on this track and it sounds good paired with the heavy riffs and bluesy guitar licks. Take It Easy, Daggermind creates a slower, moodier atmosphere, though the riffs are admittedly quite simply and repetitive. One thing you'll notice about this album is there's not a whole lot of technical stuff going on. Some of the extended guitar and bass work on Treehead Woodfist sounds good, but it's still not complex or interesting enough to be really great. I think these guys would be a great band to tour bars and other small venues, they could really be a hit at these types of places where people want an atmosphere that is equal parts relaxing and energetic. The songs also flow nicely from one to the other. It's a very consistent sound that also manages to stay pretty interesting, similar to Black Sabbath, GnR, and other famous hard rock bands.

There's not really much more to say about this album. The music is engaging and straightforward, and definitely follows the well-established tradition laid down by the stoner metal bands of the 90s. One problem I can see for these guys is that they don't really have much to set them apart besides a strange name that I'm not completely sure how to pronounce. They do what they do very well, and if they are happy with that, then so am I. However, if they really want to break out and become popular, they need something to set them apart from the pack, because there are a lot of good underground bands in this genre trying to make it. There are obvious similarities to other bands in the genre, most notably YLD, but these guys clearly have a firm idea of what they want to sound like. I personally hope they keep on making music and maybe mix it up a bit more on their next recording. Once again another excellent self-released album.