Welcome to MeteorCity

(MeteorCity)
by Scott Hefflon

Over 77 minutes of desert rock, sludge, and cosmic doom! From the groundbreaking groundwork of Black Sabbath, many a doomy, stoner, heavy-groove rock band has shuffled and staggered from obscurity with their sights set on the bleak horizon of oblivion. Often distorted to the point of fuzzy incoherence, sludge has lumbered in a variety of forms over the last few decades. And, it seems, the mid-to-late ’90s are no different. Ranging from angry, distorted howls to soulful, dirty dirge rock, the bands here assembled show their influences of vintage guitar rock, metal, and grunge (the real thing, not the glossified posterboys who’ve left a bad taste in our mouths) like they show the caked dirt on their boots. Bands such as Monster Magnet (whose guitarist Ed Mundell makes an appearance in the form of The Atomic Bitchwax) and Kyuss/Slo Burn (whose singer John Garcia fronts J.M.L) have popularized hard-psychedelia and spiritual hard rock respectively, and shed new light on a music called Desert rock – and it don’t take kindly to bright light, sobriety, or happy people. Sometimes monotonous (in a good way) like the lulling of a slow moving train, sometimes grimy and ugly, the way unkempt rock oughtta sound, Welcome to MeteorCity pretty much covers the dusty ground. Aside from the two big boys previously mentioned, bands taking part are Sixty Watt Shaman, Sparzana, Fatso Jetson, User, Rotors to Rust, Demoncleaner, Goatsnake, Drag Pack, Lowrider, Roadsaw, sHeavy, Core, Celestial Season, Dozer, and Natas. While “redneck rock” such as Quintaine Americana, and Karma to Burn, a few great swamp shuffle/groovesludge bands from New Orleans whose names I can’t think of at the moment, and more metal-based bands such as ploddingly hateful Grief, and (my favorite of all) Acid Bath aren’t here, this remains a fine representation of the non-glam side of true hard rock that deserves your attention.

(531 Wagon Train SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123)