OFF: Stoner Rock

[Jon Jarrett]

On Thu, 21 Mar 2002, K Henderson wrote:

<snip>

> Um, anybody heard the new batch of Stoner Rock discs hitting the
> marketplace?  Orange Goblin has Coup de Grace out, the Heads have a new one
> (out yet?), and the LA groups are still greatly active (Nebula, Fu Manchu,
> etc.).  I'm tiring a bit from that whole scene now, since there's too many
> bands doing pretty much the same bloody thing, so I would like to know if
> anyone's doing something particularly different and spaced-out.

        Stoner scene is taking a bit of a beating what with the sudden
demise of Man's Ruin (though some of that material appears to be available
for recycling as Nebula have just issued a CD containing their first two
EPs... ). But there is some interesting stuff going on. Nebula and Fu
Manchu and all the bands that wnat to be Skynyrd (especially Sixty Watt
Shaman) are all going OK, but not necessarily breaking new ground of
course. Spirit Caravan are still interesting because of how mournful
Wino's voice sounds, but even they seem to be aiming for Metal Hammer
compilation CDs with one or two tracks. I'm also noticing a new subheading
in the retro sort of field of stoner, bands that want to be Mountain. In
this group Five Horse Johnson and Abdullah feature large.

        As far as stoner space crossover goes I'm not seeing much
*new*: Gas Giant's _Pleasant Journey in Heavy Tunes_ is required listening
but it's been a while since they issued it and I've not heard of any new
output from them in their drummer-depleted state. Electric Wizard are
another obvious one, space doom they have called it and fair enough, they
are the extreme in that description. You may not be aware of a group who
go by the unpronounceable name of Sunn 0))), who are based on Goatsnake
but basically have three people on bass producing what they call "power
bass ambient drone". It's not as interesting as it should be but it
certainly works, and the new album just out (or imminent) has two trcaks
remixed by Merzbow which is going to add that "interest" even if it's
awful... But all this is still very far from being enough.

        There was that Last Laugh project which spun out of DarXtar which
was supposed to be something along this crossover line, anyone ever hear
it? Meanwhile I see with some horror that Queens of the Stone Age have
changed their line-up *again* (I make this the fourth time since they last
managed to get an album out) and the new drummer is... Dave bloody
Grohl. There's a new link for everyone: of course QotSA are HW-
linkable! Guest musician and producer is Chris Goss, of Masters of
Reality, which band once had a Mr G. Baker on drums, bing, there in two
removes, and now to Nirvana in three :-)

        But really, the answer to the "what's interesting in
stoner" question is always the same, not that any of you have the sense
(or attention span? I've just seen how long this post is getting) to
listen :-) It's Clutch. Get thou to <http://www.pro-rock.com> and see for
yourself (I sure hope thay have some downloads there now I've said
that) or instead, purchase _Elephant Riders_ forthwith. You will not have
wasted your money. Yours,
                          Jon

ObTapeOfLP: Golden Earring - _Moontan_
--
"I recognise that I have transgressed many of the precepts of the divine
law, and that I am subjected by various vices and iniquities, disobedient
to the words of the divine mystery brought unto me and a worshipper of the
delights of this military age." Marquis Borrell of Barcelona, 955 A.D.

             (Jonathan Jarrett, Birkbeck College London)