Somewhere between Fu Manchu, Howling Giant and Red Fang lies the sound of Wizzerd. Psychedelic Stoner at its beast … uhm best!
Good Stoner Rock, when less-orientated at Doom, should usually have that little bit of funk in its sound and man, the first few seconds of the second track ”Sisters of the Sun” surely offers that a lot and will definitely spark a lot of headbangin’ fires and bootyshakin’ flames. In the ensuing 4:17 minutes the track and its nicely high-pitched, swooshing guitars take several twists, spins and turns one might need to oil its neck just in case.
Single ”Super Nova” then has a bit of Rocket From the Crypt hyperventilation and especially the clean vocals really give this track, and the others as well, that bit of pop-appeal that Stoner Rock needs if the band wants to follow a Space-themed concept. Oh, did I forget to mention that? Yes, the whole record is conceptualized to be a magazine printed in a (lonely and far away) print shop somewhere at the end of the universe. Whether the car on the inter-galactic highway that is shown on the cover of the magazine is the paper boy late for his round, remains unclear.
Nevertheless, a neologism like “Zorp” and other words like the track titles ”Attack of the Gargantuan Moon Spiders” or ”Space Chase” speak a clear language. If one then looks at the names of the frame-working intro and outro (”Launch” and </i>”End Transmission.”</i>) there should not be any doubts left. And maybe the record cover is also just the cover of a magazine kept by the “Illustrious Cosmic Woman” mentioned in the track title ”Final Departure Part I: The Intergalactic Keep of the Illustrious Cosmic Woman”.
However, we should not forget to focus a bit more on the music. Some tracks are perfectly performed Stoner Rock, some others like ”Don’t Zorp’N’Warp” might feature similar elements, but end in hugely harmonic space rock, as if the Doors had not ridden on the wind but rather on the rays of sunshine of Cream’s love. Maybe the car on the cover is slowly getting closer to the sun(set) here? The synth in the final minute of that track is definitely warming the driver’s heart here, just like the moody and bluesy intro to ”Diosa Del Sol” when the clean vocals really support the shining glitter of it all, until the track takes a turn for the heavier side of things.
The band from Montana (is there any other Stoner Rock band from the snow-capped tundra and mountains of Montana?!) also throws in some good measures of noise in ”Transmission” and a lot of bits and bloops in ”End Transmission”. Doing so, they become a bit incalculable, playing with the expectations of the listeners, in my book that’s a good thing, of course, because classic Stoner Rock has been emulated so many times by now that it became a trope.
Nonetheless, the heavy riff is never really forgotten on the record (”Doom Machine Smoke Break” or also ”Final Departure Part I …” - the quartet has been at it for several years and even before the guys must have been hard at honing their skills. The endless touring for the last eight years – on both sides of the Atlantic – obviously has not only added to their knowledge of touring vans but also to the development of their songwriting.
If you like any of the three bands mentioned in the opening paragraph and maybe also like some of the amazing San Diego bands like Earthless, then Wizzerd is surely not gonna disappoint you with Space?… and you will probably hope for Issue No. 002 sooner than later!
Here is the video for “Super Nova”:
