Warning: stoner rock is coming back with a vengeance.
I’m not necessarily talking about groups like The Black Crowes
who put out music that anyone can listen to, not just those with
the funny cigarettes. I’m talking about the rock that was almost
meant to be listened to while possessing some kind of devices used
for, aah, “self-medication”. (Having never tried drugs, I can’t
speak from experience.)
In The Groove is a compilation of tunes that I would end up
classifying as stoner rock, and in the end, it turns out to be a
mixed bag, with more positive than negative.
Only a few of the 14 different groups on this compilation are
ones I’m even remotely familiar with. On one hand, there’s Sheavy,
who we reviewed here not terribly long ago. Sounding a lot like
vintage Black Sabbath, they were a band who impressed me a lot the
last time I heard them. Unfortunately, the cut included on this
disc, “Face In The Mirror,” isn’t on that same level.
On the other hand, there’s Raging Slab, who I remember from my
days in college radio. Taking on the Mountain classic “Mississippi
Queen,” they do a version that is pretty much note-for-note, but
they don’t deliver it convincingly.
Then, there’s Terra Firma, another band we recently reviewed,
who I don’t think could write a song not in the key of D if their
lives depended on it. “In Orbit” is further proof. (Would
somebody please teach these guys how to transpose?)
Okay, so far the criticism’s come flying faster than an octopus
being thrown onto the ice at a Red Wings game. There’s a lot on
In The Groove that’s more than merely likeable. Groups like
Roachpowder (“Toxic River”), Leadfoot (“Gonna Creep Up On You”
sounds a lot like Tool), Nebula (“Full Throttle”) and Roadsaw
(“Blackout Driver”) all show that this flavor of rock can be quite
enjoyable to everyone. Possibly my favorite discovery on this disc
is Sixty Watt Shamen and their contribution, “Whiskey Neck”.
In The Groove is an album that, unfortunately, loses its
freshness rather quickly, and that’s only because the bulk of this
music stays in exactly the same vein. Only at the end, with
Altamont’s cover of “Rattlesnake Shake,” does any real variety
creep in, and by then, it’s too little, too late.
This is still a disc worth checking out; chances are you’ll hear
at least a handful of groups that you think are worth further
investigation. As for the rest of the disc, approach with a fair
amount of caution.
