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With their ninth full-length InchThe Head & The HabitInch, Swedish heavy rockers Greenleaf have reached the pinnacle of a long evolution. The musical handwriting and well-honed mastery of guitarist Tommi Holappa, who has been a pioneer and pillar of the European stoner rock scene for more than 25 years, shines clearly through. This is perfectly complemented by the soulfulness, intuitive sense of melody, and depth of character that the vocals of classically-trained singer Arvid Hällagard bring to the sound of Greenleaf. Apart from world-class vocal lines and massive riffs with electric fuzz-power, Greenleaf have put extra thought into the themes of InchThe Head & The HabitInch, which lift it's lyrics far above much of the often cliche-ridden genre. As the album title implies, the new songs resemble symbolic short stories that revolve around emotional struggles and even mental illness. Written by the vocalist, the lyrics reflect real life experience as Hällagard works with people who suffer from problems with drug abuse and psychological health. Heavy rock afficionados Greenleaf were initially formed as an informal project by friends that were already playing in other bands including such notable names as DOZER, LOWRIDER, and DEMON CLEANER. The Swedes simply wanted an outlet for their mutual love of '70s-era hard rock and proto-metal while being free from the expectations and pressures of their main bands. Despite intentions to keep Greenleaf purely for pleasure, the undiluted joy of creating catchy songs led to everyone demanding for that material to be recorded. This eventually resulted in the of a self-titled debut EP in 2000, which was quickly followed by first full-length InchRevolution RockInch only a year later. Having turned from an on and off fling to a full-time love affair, the years of rotating line-ups ended and Greenleaf's newfound focus and stability wa
