Some albums take you on a voyage of discovery, offering surprises, and things you learn along the way.
Then some albums reveal themselves to you immediately.
The Sabbath-esque doomy riffing of “Ancient Aliens” the opening song here (the riffs so think you could use them as molasses) the roar of the vocals (and Ryan Garney was born to do this), and the sheer glee that bursts forth, allows you to think that High Desert Queen are that band.
And you’re not wrong, not really. Although Emma Näslund from Gaupa appears to sing on “Death Perception” and take it into slightly more ethereal places, it is still a record that is a real groover.
The sort of album that blokes with beards and baseball caps nod along to, its longer, more involved pieces like the nine-minute-long “Head Honcho” are a real chance to jam, and the rhythm section of Drummer Phil Hook and bassist Morgan Miller (daughter of guitarist Rusty – he of the riffs) are phenomenal.
And the title track proves the key point here. For all that they have toured with Fatso Jetson, then High Desert Queen are not just some generic “Desert Rock”, Kyuss wannabe.
For one thing, they relocated to Austin, Texas and there’s that southern tinge to “Time Waster” and the likes, and for another, the spoken word, poetry of “Tuesday Night Blues” has a more psychedelic, dreamy vibe – or at least it does until its chorus slams.
Only seven songs – mostly you assume because of a pair of epics – it ends with the second of them and “Solar Rain” gives an insight perhaps into how this band was recently on a Soundgarden tribute record.
That said, you can spot the influences here – and why shouldn’t High Desert Queen proudly wear them? – but this is an original, and at times brilliant, take on riff-heavy rock.
Rating 8.5/10
