This is the second EP from UK Stoner Metal band Strauss.

Their début EP was an great listen, and Luia follows up on the promise that their first outing showed.

Once again, this is riveting, rocking stuff. Heavy, fuzzy and with just the right amount of angry drive, Strauss proceed to deliver 5 tracks of involving music that takes in the Stoner genre and adds an extra layer of Metal to it.

There seems to be more of a modern twist to the songs this time, as evidenced by some of the less-typically-Stoner riffs and inventive vocal patterns.

Speaking of the vocals, once again these are a focal point. Whether shouting with passion, crooning with a cleaner style, or anywhere in between, the vocalist hits all the right marks and delivers a performance worthy of the music.

The songs are well written and the band seem to be slowly erring towards longer songs, which is never usually a bad thing in a band as it allows for more ideas to be developed and greater space for exploration.

Two EPs and two wins. This bodes well for an eventual full-length album. Here’s hoping.