Abdullah

(MeteorCity)
by Craig Regala

Named after the butcher? Ex-members of Sloth? Will the mystery ever end? No. Mystery is part of it. If you heard the tape floating around a year ago, there’ll be no surprises. Kinda like a Northern corollary to some of the grits’n’grease doom bands from the DC area, although the recording is a bit tentative and the corollary comment means less “Southern” and more psychedelic guitar (someone here may’ve touched Jerry Garcia’s robe before the hamburger and milkshake diet stopped his heart cold). As much of this recent heaviness can be traced to grand pappy Sabbath in his younger years (as well as others of that ear carrying the leaden torch), it also needs to be stated that Seattle around the break of the ’90s was an important place for rock, and it shows here. Not “grunge” as much as Queensrÿche and Alice In Chains. Ex-Dub Assault bassist Ed Millich sneaks in on half of this, but there’s no discernible Scorn/Naked City blubbling floating around.
(PO Box 40322 Albuquerque, NM 87196)