Instant Boner – 'High Place Phenomenon': When Stoner is in a good mood!

I don't know, but whatever the cause, we owe a great big thank you! A thank you for what, you ask??? Well, for all this wonderful music, of course! The Instant Boner are yet another example confirming the fact that the Greek North is a nest of stoner-heads. The band from Thessaloniki made a powerful musical debut, presenting their debut album, titled 'High Place Phenomenon‘.

High Place Phenomenon: A terribly interesting condition

Where else could we start, if not from the title? So what exactly is this High Place Phenomenon… Put simply, it's the tendency a percentage of people have to want to jump into the void when they find themselves at some height. Medically, it's a condition that hasn't been studied much, even though it's familiar to many.

Formation, changes and finally … Big Bang!

The Instant Boner were formed in 2013 in Thessaloniki. Their musical start came with the EPs 'Perfect Sunday' and 'Outburst' in 2014. The band was known for its distinctive melodies and the atmosphere created by the singer's very particular voice. The saxophone melodies also played a big role in that distinctiveness.

Everything pointed to their first full-length being just a matter of time. However, things didn't quite pan out that way, as the band withdrew for a long stretch. In 2018 came the big comeback, but with a significant change. The spot once held by the former singer was now filled by a female voice. Whether it was an experiment or a deliberate change, the result showed that the music of Instant Boner got a massive boost.

The saxophone amid the Psychedelic Stoner

A huge asset for the band. In the whirlwind of the Hard Rock scene in Greece, Instant Bonertook Desert Stoner Rock and evolved it. The presence of an instrument like the saxophone may shift the dynamic and tip the musical scales in favour of Instant Bonerbut it's not the only worthwhile element of their music. These are definitely excellent musicians who know incredibly well how to handle sound. It would therefore be unfair to write them off as 'lightweight', as 'the band with the saxophone'.

Greeks are a very resourceful bunch. We've proven it, after all, on many occasions. This isn't the first time that, in music, bands use instruments that aren't exactly in keeping with the style they play. A prime example, of course, is Villagers of Ioannina City (VIC). That said, the style doesn't really matter when it comes to the instruments and melodies a band wants to work into its sound. As long as there's imagination and compositional skill, everything else falls into place! And Instant Boner seem to have both.

On the music

'High Place Phenomemon' is a record that will keep us busy for a good while in the music section. And that's because we have a lot to say about the music. Let's start on the surface. Broadly speaking, Instant Boner we'd say fall under the big umbrella of Psychedelic Stoner Rock. But we shouldn't stop there. We have to at least admit that, with their compositional skills, the band members have taken the genre further.

There are so many different elements to focus on. Starting with the cherry on top of this musical cake, we have the saxophone. Instant Boner fold it into their sound amazingly. Suddenly it doesn't sound strange, but logical. Whether it's accompanying certain parts of the songs with soft, carpet-like melodies, or stepping forward for melodic lead solo moments. The truth is the sound becomes multi-dimensional with the saxophone. The opening of the track 'High Place Phenomenon' has some jazz elements. Of course, the shift that happens in the track with the guitars hits like a punch to the gut. The intensity and drive of the piece suddenly rocket. But at no point is the melodic quality that Orestis brings with the saxophone ever lost.

Rhythm Section

Moving on to the rhythm section, let's start with the drums and Vangelis (I'll be judging the drums from 2014 onward, once Vangelis took over from Paris). And here too, there's plenty of interesting stuff. In no way are the drums on Instant Boner's tracks Instant Boner simple. Using as few straight hits as possible, the dynamics keep shifting and the intensity keeps ebbing and flowing. If you pulled the drum tracks out and listened to them on their own, you'd conclude they belonged to a progressive band.

Completing the rhythm section duo is Yiannis on bass. Such radical choices on the drums couldn't hold up without a bassist able to back them up. And Johnny did step up on the role! The interplay between the bass, the drums and the saxophone is constant, creating a really beautiful 'dialogue' between the instruments. One track that showcases the bass playing is definitely 'Inside Your Head'. This song underlines that constant interplay found throughout 'High Place Phenomenon'. Bass and drums weave a really beautiful foundation for the track.

Guitars

Getting to the guitars, we find Dafy and Paris (initially the band's drummer for the first year). The guitars stay completely faithful to their Stoner roots. With heavy distorted, creamy tones, they change the texture of the tracks. But we shouldn't assume they're only used as instruments to crank up the intensity. There's no shortage of crystal-clear riffs that softly accompany the saxophone. And to wrap up the guitar section, there are also some really lovely funk elements in the band's music. Yes! You read that right. Funk! This is clear as day in 'Desert Hills', where the intro/verse is full of soft tones with wah (a guitar pedal, for non-guitarists) and funky rhythmic playing.

Vocals

We close out the members section with the voice and Marianthi. The frontwoman of Instant Boner has an excellent voice, which gives the tracks a special character. Her timbre is clean, with barely any rasp. What really sets her apart though, is that she stays crystal clear even when she's 'climbing' up in frequency. The beauty of her timbre also shows in the fact that very few effects are used on the vocals. The melodic lines are as pure as they could possibly be. This, of course, sends the songs' dynamics through the roof.

On the subject matter

Instant Boner's Instant Boner lyrics are quite simple and complex at the same time. Combined with the crystal-clear vocals, they become even more powerful. 'High Place Phenomenon' lays out the musical paths the band followed over the years, in search of the right sound.

Through the lyrics, we sense their bitterness and rage at a daily life that has become meaningless. In the end, we're left surviving on our last hope, music.

Editor's Choice: Big Bang

'High Place Phenomenon' was a huge challenge for me, choosing just one track to express my preference. And that's because, well, it's a record containing six wonderful tracks. I'll give you just one detail to grasp the scale of my dilemma. I changed my mind four times while writing this very paragraph!

In the end, though, I settled on 'Big Bang'. It's one of the tracks that leans more toward Hard Rock. A rhythm that gets you fired up, a verse with fiercely progressive elements, and Marianthi singing lyrics like a manifesto! What more could you want?! Musically, the song brings out all the band's talents.

Still, I'd clearly recommend listening to every track on the record with close attention. Each one offers something different. From the title track 'High Place Phenomenon', to 'Desert Hills', which starts off recalling Rage Against The Machine and ends up as a funk festival! From 'Inside Your Head' with its pure stoner and progressive roots, to 'Mid Air' and 'Perfect Sunday' which stand out for the otherworldly atmosphere they create.

'Power to the People! And stick it to the MAN!'

In conclusion

The Instant Boner are a band that cares a great deal about its sound. They want to offer listeners the best possible experience, while at the same time taking them on a musical journey. The feeling is that the tracks came out of endless hours of jamming. And yet, there's no hint of sloppiness or randomness. Every note and every melody has been meticulously worked out and aims to give the audience feelings they haven't felt before.

The band has been through a lot of searching to bring us 'High Place Phenomenon'. And that means a lot (at least to me). Nor did they shy away from making radical changes and experiments in pursuit of that perfection. Even though it's a debut album, the record has certainly shown us the band's abilities and whetted our appetite for their future musical endeavours. If I had to point to one thing, it would be the label "psychedelic stoner." Instant Boner simply blew past it, bringing in funk, country, doom, hard rock, jazz and progressive elements. So in the end, the record is a whole lot more than just plain, psychedelic stoner music.