Album Review: Vista Chino - "PEACE"

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It's been a long time coming, with many trials and tribulations that would have completely obliterated the resolve of lesser artists, but the incredible Brant Bjork and John Garcia have persevered, resurfacing as Vista Chino, and releasing their first collection of new songs under that new flagship. What's the result? From the dust and ashes of time and emotion it all boils down to that simple inquiry . . . what is the result . . . what kind of music do two members of the most totemic stoner band this side of Black Sabbath now make? No one, absolutely no one on the face of Planet Earth, except for possibly 2 lone souls, could have thought this music would be anything approaching the significance of their earlier incarnation . . . too much time, the loss of what many thought to be the most significant member as well as the eventual loss of yet another founder (but not before he contributes his sensational bass maneuvers on the majority of the songs), too much time touring almost as a tribute band to themselves, rehashing the sounds and chasing the glory of nearly two decades past . . . how on Earth could this music be anything other than a charming attempt at relevance? But the toughness, tenacity, and fortitude of those two artists, combined with consummate song writing ability, hold forth with the release of "Peace", the inaugural album of Vista Chino, delivering intensely deep, artistically applicable music that reflects all the joy, pride, and ability of supremely gifted artists who have refused to fade into the background of obscurity.

The years typically are not kind to the human voicebox, especially when it comes to the vocal chords of rockers, but that singular sound that is John Garcia is loud, clear, and prominent on "Peace". His vocal sound can be considered as one of a kind, one of the best in rock's history . . . yes, all of rock, not just stoner rock or high desert rock.

The years, too, can tend to drain the song writing heart of even the most gifted of creators. That heart is an incredible engine for artistic production, especially the heart of a gifted writer, but often even the most skilled craftsmen exhaust the well after years of mining its precious load. So, add to the incredible accomplishments on "Peace" that of songcraft . There may not quite be a "Green Machine" or "Odyssey" in here but the songs are expertly, cleverly, and imaginatively written with a deft and deep touch on instrumentation and a gifted understanding of timing and structure. These songs are thoroughly enjoyable, as you would imagine them to be coming from Bjork and Garcia.

One more brilliant stroke of note, for me, is the inspired addition of Bruno Fevery as lead guitar. Bruno was not a widely known player in the underground world of stoner/doom rock, not to the level the 5 main members of Kyuss have achieved, of course, or not even as a member of a known band. He was not yet established in the upper echelons of stoner rock, but Brant and John must have noticed something special with his playing abilities beyond his experience playing Kyuss cover songs, and this specialness comes through in a big way on "Peace" with deft and inspired playing throughout the album, playing in such a way as to never miss the founding lead of Kyuss, but to instead thoroughly enjoy the founding lead of Vista Chino. I can't know how much influence he may have had on song construction, but I doubt it was zero input, not with ability such as he demonstrates on this album.

The album opens with a short trippy instrumental introduction titled "Good Morning Wasteland" that gives almost no indication of what's to follow. It only takes a minute before thrusters kick in full force with "Dargona Dragona", opening with low tuned and tightly wound riffs that immediately evoke the signature sound expected of Bjork and Garcia while being neither a caricature of Kyuss' music nor a strained attempt at perfect replication . With Fevery providing inspired and deft riffage, Bjork filling in with artistic aplomb on the drums, and Garcia bringing that timeless vocal sound into play Vista Chino immediately set the stage for significant, new, and familiar high desert melody.

"Sweet Remain" is an exceptional song in that it provides a clear cut rendition of Bjork's song-writing ability, which is always clean, always engaging, always a consummate experience. Garcia stretches his vocal acumen here, singing in a range that is above his typical comfort zone. Deep rumbling riffs provide the backdrop throughout the song while Fevery's spotlight moments are intensely engaging.

"As You Wish" begins to show expressions not rendered before by these artists, and is expertly ministered in construction and execution.

Track 5 is a two for one offering and is the album's best piece of music. There is much to enjoy and savor on "Planets 1&2" not the least of which is Bjork providing vocals for the first section while Garcia chimes in beautifully on the second. "Planet 1" is tight and energetic in tempo with fuzz flying in all directions as it soars through whatever solar system these planets belong. A more deliberate and heavy delivery brings us into "Planet 2" accentuated by Fevery's fiery deftness on solo licks and Garcia's deeply emotional vocal delivery.

"Adara" is reminiscent of the desert from which the older members hail, just a funky, laid back outburst of intense control, flowing with the wind and riff driven sand, beautiful in its brightness and severity.

"Mas Vino" is another short instrumental, this one guitarcentric and sublime.

"Dark and Lovely" is funky and fun. Fevery's solo licks are exquisite on top of the rhythm deliveries, as are Garcia's vocal treatments.

By the time you get to "Barcelonian"  you begin to recognize the sound of Vista Chino as one of intense enjoyment, with songs of consummate skill and alluring musical qualities. The intensity of low tuned guitars and deep driving base perfectly complement deft and nimble drumwork and the singular sound of the frontman's vocals.

The closer, "Acidize . . . The Gambling Moose", is an incredible odyssey that kicks off with an impeccably fuzzy solo leading into another tight and beautifully constructed up tempo rendition of stamina and drive that further carries the listener along on a hypnotic carpet of deep blended wool.

"Peace", if never known for anything of past conglomerations and genre defining rock sounds would remain a significant event in the timeline of stoner rock music. It delivers magnificently on all levels and never needs comparison with anything else on any grounds other than how it stands on its own in rock zxquality and excitement, which I would be willing to bet was the most significant factor driving these gifted rockers to this long overdue point in their careers.









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Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: Orchid - "The Mouths of Madness" / Kadavar - "Abra Kadavar"

From out of the mists of recent success comes two albums highly anticipated by the ol' Nuclear Dog, as well as by many fans spanning the stoner globe. The first comes from Orchid, a band that has released 2 highly successful albums in the recent past, with the latest one an LP garnering a first place position on Reg’s Top 20 Albums of 2011. The quality of rock Orchid have delivered to the masses on those past releases naturally generate a tremendous level of anticipation from fans of these dark dreadnoughts. The second album comes from relative newcomers Kadavar who just last year released their debut album and landed on my own Top 20 list, so much did I thoroughly enjoy their blitzing riffage. A common thread that runs through these two bands beyond our sweaty expectations is the type of music they play. Both bands hearken wonderfully back to the heyday of heavy rock n roll with guitarcentric music packaged in magnificent melodies and driven with bombastic passion.
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ORCHID - "THE MOUTHS OF MADNESS"

Orchid hail from San Francisco and have been together since 2007, making and playing unbelievably awesome heavy rock in the classic vein of the great bands of the 70s such as Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, perhaps the band they are most identified with. Consciously or unconsciously, Orchid, especially on "The Mouths of Madness", channel original Black Sabbath in almost every way but in vocals, and that's not so far off as to be a detraction. This is not a bad thing. They aren't necessarily mimicking Sabbath so much as taking up the mantle of Sabbath-like music, and doing it perfectly, and by perfectly I mean sounding LIKE Sabbath's music without sounding exactly like Black Sabbath. They sound like Orchid. For me, that's an incredible feat, and a cherished result, because the sound the original Black Sabbath created is priceless and deserves more creative execution. No one else in the history of rock has truly pulled this off, and that includes iterations of Black Sabbath itself after Ozzy left. But that's my take on it. I'd wager that even if you don't agree with it you'll agree that the music on this album is humongous in solid, satisfying low tuned and heavy sound.

Band members of Orchid are:

Theo Mindell - Vocals
Carter Kennedy - Drums
Mark Thomas Baker - Guitar
Keith Nickel - Bass

Huge, heavy, low tuned riffs are the hallmark of Orchid's music, something they have delivered in spades on their initial EP release "Through the Devil's Doorway" and more recently on their first LP release "Capricorn", but on "The Mouths of Madness" they have up the ante by delving a little deeper into the darkness, wrapping uncanny guitar and bass riffs in pitch black wickedness, giving rise to a timbre of shadows and monstrosity. What tops off the toothsome signature sound are vocals at once unique, compelling, and custom made for the music. All in all, this latest album is a black ribbon gift of impeccable conveyance.

Nine songs have been rendered on "The Mouths of Madness", none more full to bursting with manic melody and classic guitar riffs than the title song which opens the album like a long lost companion of unbridled passion.

"Marching Dogs of War" elicits dark nostalgia in a way that penetrates directly to some primal dark core where the tapestry of Baker's guitar and Nickel's bass entwine perfectly with the percolating perfection of Mindell's vocals.

"Silent One" is a psychedelic romp of sheer delight where low tuned guitar licks are meshed with Kennedy's masterful drum fills and Baker's dextrous solos, and where spacey reverberations echo throughout the melodic journey of dark energy.

"Nomad" is a vocal triumph, where Mindell expresses remarkable power and depth in relating a fantastic tale through the purposeful tempo of strings and sticks, moving through a number of vocal variations throughout the course of the song, executing each with a masterful stroke.

"Mountains of Steel" could have been an apt album title for this ennead of superlative symphony, but, as one of nine delivers the same monstrous, gargantuan sound as its brethren.

"Leaving it All Behind" delivers a classic sound that isn't as deep and dark as those before it and after, instead eliciting an incredibly beautiful melody and guitar delivery that is driven home once again by Mindell's spot on vocals.

"Loving Hand of God" is heavy and low, with fibers of guitar clarity strategically intertwined through the dark package of melodic endeavor, consisting of a changing tempo that ranges from deliciously slow and deliberate to an upbeat solo stack of blistering heat.

"Wizard of War" is christmas and birthdays combined with the sabbath, a pure mountain of low tuned sweetness, from the mega deep riffs and tight tempo to the clarity and presence of impeccable vocals, topped off with solo heat that has a frayed and dangerous edge.

"See You on the Other Side" signs off the album in aggressive style, raining guitar solo fire and impassioned vocals onto an energetic melodic odyssey replete with unrelenting pneumatic drumwork.

This album is exceptional in many ways, but strip out all the superlatives and comparisons and measure it solely on its execution and delivery and it stands up as a timeless masterpiece, simple as that. Yes, it will enter the discussion as year's best, and will come up against some stiff competition, perhaps even from its doppelganger band (we can only hope), but make no mistake, it will be there with the very best once the dust settles. I'd even wager it will be there long after, standing beside Orchid's first two releases, and any subsequent work bound to come out down the years, as a compendium of colossal celebration.

Order the new CD at Nuclear Blast




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KADAVAR - "ABRA KADAVAR"

The beauty of this decade, and likely beyond, in terms of awesome heavy rock is the amalgam of the best of 70s metal and 90s grunge along with the underground stoner rock and high desert sounds of the 90s and the 00s. Many kids who grew up listening to their parents' music and their elder siblings' or friends' music were likely exposed to a tremendous amount of great classic metal and underground rock. As those kids have become adults playing in their own rock bands, whether from the U.S., the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Argentina, or anywhere on the globe, they are developing masterful strokes of monstrous metal magic. Hailing from Berlin, Germany, Kadavar are the vanguard of that development, leading the way with their colossal creations of mega metal. Two incredible albums in two short years, while not unheard of, is still a major accomplishment for any band, but to follow what was widely considered a resounding successful debut with a sophomore effort so soon is incredible, and risky only if it's not up to the standard already set upon themselves. The question Kadavar have put to us, then, on this sophomore rendition is, 'is "Abra Kadavar" as good or better than our self titled debut?' The conclusion, before going through the evidence, is YES! Somehow, using the momentum gained on that self titled juggernaut, Kadavar have managed to kick their Bavarian beast machine up a whole 'nother level and blast on down the highway of classic/retro heavy rock on an engine firing on all cylinders and purring with volume and perfect synchronicity.

Band Members on Kadavar are:

Lupus Lindemann - Vocals / Guitar
Mammut - Rivoli Bass
Tiger - Drums

To start, the overriding brilliance of Kadavar comes across to us in the same manner used by all bands who create meaningful, worthwhile heavy rock, with phenomenal guitar, skilled vocals, and superb melodies. For Kadavar the vocals and guitar happen to be delivered by one member, Lindemann. But, it's imperative to point out that the hard driving, relentless sound of Kadavar's brilliant melodies would be flat and listless without the gifted and impassioned rhythm section of Mammut's Rivoli bass and Tiger's extraordinary drumwork. Listen closely and you will find skillsets far above the bar where excellence begins to be measured. There is an energy and athleticism in their melodious maneuvering, lending power and magnificence to the sound and the song.

Lindemann's vocals are perfectly matched to Kadavar's music, but beyond the quality of his vocal outpourings is the manner in which Kadavar arrange them on the recordings, just a bit behind the instrumentals, keeping strings and sticks at the forefront where they deliver not only the signature sound, but also elicit the unyielding satisfaction of a willing and engaged audience.

"Abra Kadavaar" is resplendent with music, consisting of 10 tracks, each a marvel in its own right. The opening track, "Come Back Life" has a slight haunting quality, nostalgic in feel, and spiritual in delivery with crisp, clean guitar work threaded throughout in doses of refrain and dashes of solo blitzes. "Doomsday Machine" follows, and is arguably one of the top tracks on this collection. The same haunting vocal quality persists, but the guitar renderings pick up in intensity and deliberation, performing a tight spiral of crunchy riffs and blistering solos. "Eye of the Storm" follows with a change in tempo and executional feel, delivering an intriguing melody enhanced by powerful bass strokes and brutal drumwork topped off with what is obviously the signature brilliance of Lindemann's guitar licks. "Black Snake" is a plaintive wail mired in blues laced rock, beautiful, unique, and utterly intriguing. The halfway point comes quickly as "Dust" blasts onto the fore in controlled explosions of perfect timing and leviathan riffs.

The second half of the album starts out ablaze with "Fire", a big, bold amalgam of sound enhanced by Lindemann placing more emphasis on vocals as instrument this time around, in which he exercises a challenging lyrical component with passion and superior proficiency. "Liquid Dream" unloads at first like a ton of bricks before narrowing down to a tight, powerful assault and battery of escalating intensity. This song is unique and simultaneously enjoyable . "Rhythm for Endless Minds" is a fuzz fueled psychedelic trip of epic proportions, riding a musical tapestry of intertwined sounds and existential riffs overlaid by ethereal, haunting vocals. The title song, "Abra Kadavar" continues the colorful and euphonic odyssey but on a brighter, more colorful tapestry using heavier gauge threads of guitar riffs, drum rills, and bass fills, interwoven in complex and intriguing pattern of enchantment. The album closes out with "The Man I Shot" returning to the classic, nostalgic formula that was followed previously on the album, unfolding a sound that is at once fresh and nostalgic, reminiscent of  a long lost rock experience from days gone by and eras past but still reverberating in the blacker recesses of a dark subconsciousness.

This is another album that goes immediately into consideration for 'best of' discussions once the year end is upon us. In a genre in which listeners, followers, fans, and disciples demand exception and excellence, Kadavar have delivered that in triplicate. There is depth and texture to all ten songs, providing the listener with vast opportunities to explore oft and anon the weavings, nuances, and tapestries intertwined throughout the album.

Order a copy of the CD or vinyl at Nuclear Blast





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Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: Palm Desert - "Rotten Village Sessions" / Mothership - "Mothership"

Today we have the second second coming of Kyuss from Wraclow, Poland in the guise of Palm Desert, who Zac compared magnificently to the high desert sound of "Welcome to Sky Valley" on their first release, "Falls of the Wasteland" back in April of 2011. Now they've upped the ante a bit with their second release "Rotten Village Sessions" so we get to see if they were a one album wonder or not. The second offering today is a 3 piece in which 2 are brothers, hailing from Texas, with a deep, resonant groove borne of hours listening to their father's cache of 70s rock. Mothership are a mother lode of hard driving, fuzzy, melodious guitar soaked deliciousness mined from the depths of Earth's finest veins of rich metal.
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PALM DESERT - "ROTTEN VILLAGE SESSIONS"

Since the 2011 release of "Falls of the Wasteland", Palm Desert have now come out with another collection of songs seemingly written in the high deserts crispness of the Mojave Desert air titled "Rotten Village Sessions". The 2011 release was credited, as mentioned above, with a sound similar to the kings of the high desert, Kyuss, so the anticipation, if not expectation, for "Rotten Village Sessions" will be 'can they do it again'? Or would they even want to do it again. What will it be like?

As it turns out, Palm Desert stick to the formula, perhaps working on crafting an even finer collection of stoner rock tunes than before, something certainly not easy to do, something not many bands, regardless of location, would want to attempt, but Palm Desert have not only made the attempt, they have pulled off another solid collection of songs that fit perfectly in the pantheon of the high desert stoner sound perpetuated by Kyuss in the 90s.

Is the music on this album original in style? Does it break new ground or reveal anything new at all? Perhaps not, at least not in style or genre, but who the fuck cares? Is it good stoner rock? No. It's GREAT stoner rock, and I, for one, am very appreciative of this foursome from Wraclow, Poland taking a sound they obviously love, and that I happen to love as well, and whipping out 9 fresh, healthy versions of a rock sound that is becoming rare. There is no direct copying of anything here of which I can tell, just new songs brilliantly written to a style that is quite rightly one of the best rock has ever produced, one that came and went in relative obscurity for most, but luckily not for us.

Band members for Palm Desert are:

Kamil Ziotkowski - drums
Jan Rutka - bass
Piotr Lacny - guitar
Wojciech Gatuszka - vocals

Within the stoner rock style that Palm Desert employ are brilliant and gifted vocals, crucial to the high desert sound as set by John Garcia of Kyuss, eminent and energetic bass, never simply blended and relegated to the background as so often happens in many rock bands regardless of style, guitar that riffs and hooks, solos and scorches with the best of them, crucial to making memorable, enjoyable melodies, and drums, like the bass, that powerfully carve out their own space on these songs, not simply relegated to providing tempo and beat, but creating wonderful, vibrant music within the tapestry of Palm Desert's music.

The opening song, "Down the Odyssey" sets the tone, an eight minute intercontinental ballistic ride over the tops of saguaro and joshua, hooking from the outset, both in memorable melody and powerful blows to your stoner rock loving head. This is the kind of song you fall right into the middle of and ride for all its worth.

I love the echoey drum sound on track #3, "Ghulassa Saloon", that quickly leads into track #4, "Mani" where the musical threads here are trippy, catchy, and just plain groovy. It's a unique and incredibly enjoyable song that successfully employs unusual execution in instrumentation.

Palm Desert close out the album with a couple of classic sounding stoner songs, "Acid Phantom" and "White Wolf". The guitar work on "Acid Phantom" is pure and beautiful stoner rock, enjoyable for its effort as well as its dead on sound. "White Wolf" is ten minutes of sheer music brilliance, with a haunting, pitch perfect guitar weaving a tale of wonder and excitement, building up along the way with ever broadening drumwork, bass riffs, and vocal intensity. After ten minutes is a hidden little guitar ditty that adds a dash of flavor. It is there, I'm sure, just as a little thank you for those of us that made it to the end and enjoyed the trip along the way.




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MOTHERSHIP - "MOTHERSHIP"

Brothers Kelley, or Kells, and Kyle Juett team with Judge Smith to create a powerhouse rock trio that have no problem leaving the stratosphere of Earth for music that is cosmically and universally righteous. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, a heavy southern, bluesy influence is infused throughout their music, giving it a home base from which to blast off, but never constraining it to the small confines of our little solar system. Mothership know how to make their music soar, how to trip across the cosmos at the speed of sound, how to escape the gravity of the biggest black holes, and how to generate the force of the largest, most monstrous supernovas. Mothership may have been crafted in the backyard and garage of Daddy's house, but their vessel is one of the finest in the universe.

When first starting out, Mothership were 3 Juetts as father John flayed the skin as older brother Kyle cranked bass and younger brother Kells played guitar, with both brothers sharing vocal duties. Dad knew his time was limited, but can you imagine how much fun that had to be, playing some of the finest new rock crafted in recent years with your progeny? I can only imagine John enjoyed it immensely before turning the sticks over to Judge.

Judge, for his part, has stepped in admirably, providing high quality drumwork that never hides behind the roar and rumble of the high energy engines of the Juett brothers' strings. Judge's energy combines with a physical quality that permeates and punctuates perfectly and powerfully throughout the album.

Guitar work by the younger Kells is quite definitely a cut above standard rock guitar. Stoner / retro rock is all about guitar, and Mothership take that to heart, delivering loads of driven, cogent, quality guitar that takes its cues from old blues rock, rock guitar from the 70s, and embellishing upon that with volume and vigor, fuzzing out the edges with a satisfying dollop of distortion, boring out huge swathes of earth below the surface while simultaneously blasting away at outerspace in starburst, supernova, cosmic blasts of laser cannon riffs and string theory precision.

Kyle mans the bass in such a way as to grab your attention quite quickly when listening through Mothership's songs for the first time. There is a whole lot of gusto with his playing, just downright kick the door in with my Red Wing steel tips, watch how easy it is for me, and as he's kicking it in you notice a beautiful rhythm to the whole event despite the brutality of it, despite the unmitigated release of testosterone and thermite.

The brothers share vocal duties, and I, for one, can't tell much of a difference as both bring a decent rock voice to the party, blending well with the music they play, never yelling the lyrics, something increasingly rare, but never putting themselves in positions that would compromise their capabilities, which when you think about it, shows quite a bit of intelligence in song writing. That intelligence is much more evident on the songs themselves as each one of the eight on this self titled album are well written, well executed, and full of melody, hooks, riffs, memorable stretches with and without the vocals, just all around excellence in craftsmanship.

The opener is five minutes of instrumental, apparently stressing what to them is the more important part to their music and providing to us some monstrous riffage in tribal rhythmic packaging. It leads easily into "Cosmic Rain", a simple bluesy and catchy tune that will be one of those you find yourself singing to long after electricity has been shut off for the night.

Next up is "City Nights", where the melody is tighter and the hooks are contagious. The solos blister and burn, but the basswork, the rhythm guitar, and the energetic skin pounding on the refrains go straight to your blues rock receptors, firing off nerves that get your body moving in time to this incredible song.

It seems like each song kicks up the hookage a notch from its predecessor, and "Angel of Death" is no exception. After a nice extended intro, the blues fuzz kicks in, and musical satisfaction melts warmly through your body as the song unfolds and progresses. This is just pleasurable rock music listening, like biscuits, real butter, and honey. Chased down with a Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye Ale, of course.

"Win or Lose" changes up the tempo, slowing it down, tuning it down, but kicking the intensity up a couple of notches to go along with a memorable and well crafted melody that will stay with you for days, I have no doubt. The guitar work on this song is exquisite, tremendous, just totally enjoyable.

"Eagle Soars", the penultimate song, continues the trend. The brothers spend time singing together on this one, which adds a nice flavor to what is already a boiling, frothy, batch of guitar stew, chock full of meat, and more meat, and just lots of meaty goodness.

The closer is "Lunar Master". It's a Lunar Masterpiece. Eight minutes of galloping headlong on your space stallion passing planets, comets, asteroids, and black holes at the speed of Mothership. Pretty awesome.

Mothership, in keeping with their celestial sci-fi name have conjured 8 tales of cosmic bliss played out in 70s Texas blues rock guitar, none of which sounds like it would fit, but when given to genetically superior beings, awesomeness is the byproduct of using what you know, on what you have at hand, with the enthusiasm of constructing what you love best. It's quite wonderful to behold.





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