4th of July (Soundgarden cover)

from Appear

Unsolid

from the Barebones Sessions

Water My Way

from Appear

What's new?

Swedish duo Molosser hit the scene in spring 2021 with their debut album Appear, where they created a unique, atmospheric sound with their downtuned acoustic guitars, vocals and drums. In January 2022 they followed this up with the “Barebones Sessions” where they presented some of those songs in a stripped down live format.

Now Molosser is back with two different lines: a purely acoustic guitar and vocals duo that keeps the name Molosser, and a power duo with electric guitar and drums that’s called Molosser CRUDE.

The addition of a resonator guitar steers the acoustic duo even more towards a rootsy soundscape of dark Americana with strong elements of blues and jazz. Compared to the subtly complex compositions from Appear, in their new material Molosser play around with somewhat a simpler soundscape, both in the guitar duo and the electric power duo format. There’s still plenty going on, but the roles have gotten a bit more defined and there’s a bit more of a rhythm/lead or rhythm/bass dynamic in the playing.

An album with this new material has been recorded, but then scrapped when Molosser decided that the songs were still growing, influenced in part by new energy and ideas from playing them with the power duo. Now new recording sessions are planned, but pending that, we hope to be able to release some simple live recordings to give you a taste of what Molosser sounds like today.

Background

Swedish duo Molosser play their very own brand of dark americana/alternative rock with two downtuned guitars and vocals. The band consists of Tess and Jahn, who share a life outside as well as inside the music and currently live at a (very) small farm in Uråsa, in the province of Småland. They met in the city of Gothenburg, where they both played in various bands and constellations ranging from noisecore and riff-heavy rock to improvised jazz. Molosser’s music is the fruit of these and other influences, combined with an inspiration from nature and the countryside, where the action is mostly on a more subtle level than in the city (but plain to see for anyone who’s looking closely).

The result is a kind of music where seemingly simple components – riffs, basslines, melodies – weave together to form a dynamic, vibrant texture with an abundance of detail for anyone who cares to listen a bit closer, and still make a strong, emotional whole that grabs the listener by the neck and won’t let go. Tess performs her lyrics about loss and being lost, about searching for the promised gold at the end of the rainbow and trying to make sense of the way there – all with a voice as naked as it is strong when it whirls and dances across the flowing guitar music.

Reviewers and listeners have mentioned artists as diverse as PJ Harvey, Kyuss, R L Burnside, Radiohead, The Doors and Soundgarden in connection with Molosser’s music, which goes to show that they really sound like nothing else at all.

Molosser’s debut album, Appear, was released in May 2021 and met with acclaim all over the globe (as can be witnessed on the Reviews page). On the album, the two acoustic guitars were supplemented with Tess’ drumming and a sparse helping of guitar overdubs, to create an atmospheric yet minimalistic soundscape. In September the same year, Molosser turned into a more direct, rougher path with their thoroughly molosserized cover of AC/DC:s Back in Black, and the duo continued in this new direction on the “Barebones Sessions” series of singles and videos, released one each week In January 2022. These feature new arrangements of some of the most popular tracks from Appear, live and with just the two acoustic guitars and vocals – a more straightforward energy that points towards the new material that Molosser is currently demoing and pre-producing in anticipation of a new album.

While Molosser's music is moving towards an even more stripped-down and acoustic format, Tess and Jahn has also formed offshoot power duo Molosser Crude that goes in the opposite direction - loud, noisy, electric hardcore stoner blues performed with vocals, drums and guitar.

For a bit more about Molosser's debut album, read "The Appear Story"!