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 BIO | ALBUM REVIEWS | LIVE REVIEWS | INTERVIEWS |
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| Album Reviews |
 NEBULA/LOWRIDER SPLIT Kerrang! 4/5 by Joshua Sindell Apparently, running an on-line stoner-rock record shop wasn't enough for the fanatics at New Mexico's MeteorCity. No, they've had to go out and recruit artists themselves, starting with the much-lauded Welcome to MeteorCity compilation, and now this international pairing. Please, let this madness continue. Pressed onto a slab of green vinyl so thick it could double as a serving tray, this outing from Los Angelesâ Nebula and Sweden's Lowrider finds both bands ready to take us all into the next millennium on a wave of fuzzed-out guitars and thunderously groovy riffage. Recorded in Seattle with grunge guru Jack Endino, Nebula's half shows the colder, brooding side of the band that wasn't present on their debut album. Their offering begins with the molasses-thick Anything From You, a track so reminiscent of Mudhoney's classic Superfuzz Bigmuff album that authorities need not dust to see Endino's incriminating fingerprints. More indicative of the trio's synapse-frying live act are Full Throttle and Fall of Icarus (neither of which would have sounded out of place on Fu Manchu's In Search Of). Ruben Romano's drumming is dynamic and ecstatic, and guitarist Eddie Glass continues to prove that he's the rising young star of the stoner scene. Fu *who*?, you might well ask. In the opposite corner, Lowrider bounce over-amped 60s psychedelic rock off the reverberating walls of the Grand Canyon. When singer/bassist Peder growls out something involving *fireballs* on leadoff track Shivaree, Lowrider summon up the ghost of early Deep Purple. Elsewhere, Ol Mule Pepe (exclusive to the vinyl edition) finds the Swedes at their most swingingly Sabbath-fried, coasting on a chunky riff that hearkens back to the sound of those masters of reality. But don't write them off completely as retro: Upon the Dune begins like Metallica's Sanitarium (Welcome Home)â before coalescing into a swampy groove that brings to mind visions of smiling alligators and rickety bayou shacks. Finally, The Gnome, The Serpent, The Sunâ is either stunningly heavy or a competent facsimile, depending on your familiarity with Kyuss' Blues For the Red Sun. Not necessarily a *bad* thing, mind you. If rock is dead, then nobody bothered to tell the people at MeteorCity. back to album reviews |
NEBULA/LOWRIDER SPLIT Stoner Rock Mailing List by Lou Rinaldi The opening guitar strums of the first song announce Nebula's arrival from the distant reaches of Alpha Centauri. Different than anything we've heard from them thus far... spacey and almost, dare I say it, MELLOW! Track 2 gets us back to form... once you hear Eddie's "YEEEEEEAHHH!" you know it's all over. Your foot says "fuck off" to your brain and begins tapping along with a mind of its own. Soon the rest of your body undergoes a similar process of exhumation from the dregs of everyday life as you slowly begin to lose yourself in this amazing music. I knew Lowrider from their appearance on "Welcome to MeteorCity", and was eager to hear their half of this disc. Calling this shameless Kyuss worship isn't quite fair, if not entirely untrue. Coming dangerously close to cloning, both in terms of guitar tone and songwriting, the band still manages to inject a bit of their own flavor into the music. The vocals in particular have an eerie echo to them, and most of the time don't resemble John Garcia's at all. (Track #7's vocals, however, approach the style of "Mondo Generator" from 'Blues for the Red Sun.') Even so, being a near clone of Kyuss isn't a bad thing... the songwriting, while familiar, is very cohesive. The musicianship is tight, and all the members' rhythms are in sync. Rather than being a detriment to the overall quality of the disc, Lowrider's half ups the ante, making this CD a definite must-buy. MeteorCity has been making some very wise moves. Stressing quality over quantity works for them, again. Though they may not be cranking out new titles each month, you can rest assured that their releases are worth the wait. CD's like this are one of the main reasons why I started this list. back to album reviews |
