Humming. The sort of warm vibration which flows smoothly through the air. The sound produced by probably more than one pushed guitar amp, standing by, waiting for the right time to burst out loud. This is what you will hear first when checking out Great Divide, the recent release from Canadian doom outfit TEKARRA.
Two tracks, about 35 minutes of worship. Worship of tone, of immersion in frequencies and volume which take their time to evolve. And it all starts rather peacefully. The bass hits notes in a manner that leaves enough space for the feedback and oscillation of the guitar to fill the gaps, paving the foundation for a first, ever-evolving drone. And there you have it:
On the title track TEKARRA are serving doom that uses drones in their most traditional form: as an almost meditative aspect.
The tempo is restrained and the mood is intense so that the energy is contained throughout the whole track. The mind can fully immerse. I am pretty sure this record would work as an instrumental piece as well. But at some point growls are emerging. The vocal performance is reduced to serve the track. Adding more depth whenever the three-piece from Alberta wishes to. At the end of the track, the guitar drifts into a slightly psychedelic type of playing. But again this is set so it is more felt than explicitly articulated, leaving much space for the listener to explore.
The pace, or call it the groove if you want to, for „Endless Winter“, the second offering, is slightly eased. At this point I am realising I really enjoy the British guitar tone of the record. It bites hard, but never harsh, while pushed into heavy saturation. Another thing I really like about the guitar is the kind of dry sound. It seems there is no reverb or delay in the signal. And again the vocals are used with restraint, every line deepening the song’s mood and emotional pull. At the very end of the track, the last downstroke is phenomenal. These two tones are beautiful and showcase something thoughtful: If the A-Side was a meditative exercise, then the flip side can serve as a slow transition back without losing the experiences and feelings of the meditation itself. I open my eyes slightly, giving me time to arrive back in the room completely.
The „Great Divide“ is out now digitally and on 12″ vinyl. The physical release is brought to life with the help of Psychedelic Salad & Interstellar Smoke Records.
| Band | TEKARRA |
| Record | Great Divide |
| Release date | 20. November 2025 |
| Label | Psychedelic Salad & Interstellar Smoke Records |
| Links | Instagram Bandcamp |