V/A--Scene Killer
MeteorCity 2001
With bands such as Monster Magnet, Solarized, The Atomic Bitchwax, and many others, the state of New Jersey practically has the market cornered on quality groove/"stoner rock." That being said, the idea of a Desert Sessions-style, friends-jamming-for-fun, document of the New Jersey scene is more than a little exciting. Scene Killer definitely lives up to the hype created by bringing these talented musicians together, even if it isn't always what you'd expect it to sound like.
The simple fact the three aforementioned bands are involved with this project might lead one to suspect Scene Killer is a total exhibition of straight-up groove. However, while there are moments of pure groove, such as The Clone Obey with "As You Look," and "Back of My Mind" by Solarized (which features Ed and Tim from Monster Magnet), the majority of this album is psych/space rock and blues filtered through groove. The bluesier highlights come from all-star jams on tunes like "Midnight Snack" and "Wasteland."
At the end of the day, though, the psych/space rock steals the show on Scene Killer in the form of Drag Pack's final two songs as a band. "Aurora" is the definite centerpiece, sounding like a great lost Hawkwind track, with a wicked shimmering phase effect which draws the listener even deeper into the groove. Their final track, "Psychic Down," is just as great. These two songs alone are worth the price of admission.
All in all, Scene Killer is a cool CD that will appeal to die-hard fans of all the musicians involved, as well as listeners who prefer pure psych/space rock or blues to the groovin' ways these folks are most known for. Overall, it's probably a lot more solid than some of the Desert Sessions outings, too. An interesting, entertaining listen with a possibility for wide appeal.
Score this CD directly from METEORCITY |
