The Mushroom River Band--Simsalabim
MeteorCity 2002
There is widespread knowledge that lack of originality has been an epidemic in the "stoner rock" scene for quite some while. MeteorCity's release of Driven by Solarized last year did a lot to heal the wounds caused to the scene by the legions of cookie-cutter Fu Manchu and Kyuss imposters. With Simsalabim, the new album from the Mushroom River Band, the problem has become further corrected.
The press release for this album describes the Mushroom River Band's sound as a cross between Entombed, Fu Manchu, and Motorhead. To a degree, this is correct. It would be fair to say Simsalabim is an album filled with high-caliber, grooved death 'n roll. There is somewhat of a Motorhead influence to this, specifically Bastards-era Motorhead--it's important to note Simsalabim is definitely a metal album; it doesn't have the pure rock and roll energy of vintage Motorhead. That being said, any way you slice it, Simsalabim is a great album.
There is actually a third influence to the Mushroom River Band's sound that is more fitting to mention than Motorhead in describing them. Throughout the course of Simsalabim, the Mushroom River Band gives their material an epic quality brought on by an underlying Iron Maiden influence. It's there on every track but most apparent on songs like "My Vote Is Blank," "Run, Run, Run," and the title track. This is brought to the fore by the grand sounding harmony lead guitar work contained on each of these examples.
It's important to note that while the Mushroom River Band contains elements similar to all of the aforementioned bands, they definitely have their own identity. Many bands think combining various elements from their influences is enough to give them a unique personality. Truly great bands recognise that the only way to rise above the dreck is to really give of yourself, both as a writer and a performer. The Mushroom River Band is one of those special groups who get that. With Simsalabim, they've created one of the best slabs of downtuned grooviness in ages. Highly recommended.
Score this CD directly from METEORCITY
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