After an album that served both as catharsis and as a transition into a new era, Bukowski is back, stronger than ever. Back to basics, or almost, because simply repeating an already proven formula would have been too easy. Cold Lava is above all the first album recorded by Bukowski with its latest line-up, settled and complete for the past three years now. While we have always appreciated Bukowski’s world, somewhere between stoner ethard rock, all topped off with a good dose of groove, the band did not hesitate this time to add a nice helping of more alternative and ambient sounds to its saturated recipe. There is somewhere a hint of Thrice or, to a lesser extent, Thursday and Alexisonfire on certain tracks. Buko will always remain Buko, but its evolution brings a breath of fresh air to music that is still intense and hammered out with conviction. Returning to shorter songs, certainly, but without going in circles, is so much more exhilarating. It has to move, it has to dance, but always in the service of the most intoxicating headbanging. Fired up to the max, Bukowski has succeeded in making the album it had secretly wanted to make for a good many years. Power, emotion, hooks... and rock in several forms. Cold Lava, or fire beneath the ice. Beware of still waters, the storm is close at hand.