Rise 13

Magick Rock Vol. 1 (TMC)
by Brian Varney

For those of you who are curious about all of this heavy/desert/stoner rock stuff that you’re hearing so much about these days, I have the perfect CD for you. This 12-track is a sampler of bands on the European label Rise Above. The fine folks at TMC have seen fit to release it stateside, so I suggest you send them a congratulatory postcard or offer to bear their children or something. Some of these are bands I’ve heard before, some I’ve not. But now I’m curious to hear more by all of them. The best part of this CD is that most of the tracks are unreleased, so even if you’ve got, say, both Spirit Caravan releases, you don’t have Rise 13’s Spirit Caravan track, the glowering “The Departure.” There’s also Goatsnake doing a Black Oak Arkansas cover, the thought of which should already have you quivering in anticipation. Also of note are a great Orange Goblin cut called “Quincy the Pig Boy” and Electric Wizard‘s creepy “Witchcoven (Live California Jam ’74).” Sure, there are cuts on here that aren’t as good, but who cares? It’s not like a couple of weaker (not weak) cuts are gonna detract from the handful of mind-altering ones. Hell, the Electric Wizard cut by itself is enough to shut down higher brain functions in most humans. Why would you even want to use that thing after this?

Seriously though, this CD is a “can’t lose” proposition. 12 bands (in addition to those already mentioned, Unida, Acrimony, Drag Pack, Sheavy, Hangnail, Solarized, Sally, and Shallow also appear) for the price of one, at least one of which should blow your mind. If you like the rock, that is. And even if you don’t, the inner artwork, wherein a hot rock chick named Nikki Sixx Sixx Sixx is kneeling on a pentagram, is still worth your money. So throw a few bones TMC’s way, unless you wanna doom these bands to the same fate as Kyuss and yourself to a future full of Belle & Sebastian albums.
(www.music-cartel.com)