Red Mesa comes at us from yonder down the mountain atop the
deserted mesas of New Mexico. Like their band name, Red Mesa instills a sense
of high desert haze within a rather varied psychedelic-stoner/doom landscape.
I, for one, have a sweet spot for heavy music reminiscent of a lonely desert
highway; begging for maximum volume with a high octane, pedal to the metal
attitude.
Clocking in at just over an hour in length this debut album
is testament of time and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire duration
urging repeat listens. Often times albums over the 45 minute mark suffer from
excess fat. Red Mesa, however, seem to have the endurance to maintain full
attention throughout with a range of different styles flowing seamlessly within
one another.
The album starts out with a song called Self Destruction which unleashes a whiskey drenched snarl of
desperate lyrics backed by stoned out rocking fuzz. Before its end the almighty
blues-based metallic solo introduces itself and later closes down with the same
rumbling riff that started things off.
One Percenter
blazes a salute to Monster Magnet adding a spike of punk rock to the spacey
groove. Head banging chorus runs with backup vocals matching your already
peaking perma-smile.
Low and Slow
circulates more sun-soaked riffage which glazes into the southwestern spirit
world. Low, slow, and hypnotic groove bury the mind in astonishing fashion as
the illusory solos and bone chilling vocals palpitate to the beat of a blazing
spliff ringing into serenity. Scorching solos stretch slowly amongst the
colossal riffs as the golden vocals chop through the night.
Sunface blisters
your skin with dreamy atmospheric rays
of stoner riffs. Vocals drenched in reverb and guitar toned with sinewy luster
and melody mesmerize you into a state of ecstasy if you weren’t already high as
a kite.
Warcall calls
forth a bit of metal to the psychedelic dance. Ranging anywhere from Dave
Mustaine psychotics to the prominent Dave Wyndorf croon the music treads across
the dunes like a steel horse outrunning a freight train. Red Mesa engineer a
soundtrack fitting for a satellite viewing of a desert massacre with a slightly
less extraterrestrial version of Monster Magnet and an emphasis on sinister
tones backed by Sabbath-like shreddage.
The 17-minute title track comes at us around the midway mark
of the album taking you on a journey across the haunted wasteland, at night,
with a bag full of peyote and fistful of blues. Eerie melodies wrap a
sludge-soaked guitar wale as the timely doom-laden vocals spew terror and
confusion. Like Sleep’s ‘Dopesmoker’, the sprawling display of
distortion echoes across the barren culling the attention of all fans of
low-down dirge-y doom. Although the song is over 17 minutes long it doesn’t wear
out its welcome, and actually it reinvigorates the anticipation for what more
the album can possibly throw at you next. It’s a chilling and gruesome break
from an already highly engaging listen.
As the title track comes to a close, like the last grain of
sand forms the tip of the dune, Revolution
Coming soothes the soul with an added dimension of dementia, as if Neil
Young and Axl Rose sat around a campfire amidst an
oncoming desert storm destined for eternal peril. Spine tingling harmony
overwhelms the senses as the album sinks into another jam session of godly
doom. Sky Groove scrapes the sand
from your ears as the clouds disperse and the light reveals an oasis of hope
and fantasy. Aptly named it fulfills a groovy tempo throughout its instrumental
prowess much like Nugent’s Stranglehold
grabs ahold of the listener.
The album closes with a fun song called Poontang Shake which brings the rock n’ roll full circle. Elements
of rockabilly even show their tattooed faces on this good time closer with a
deep backing vocal chop. Riffs are mighty as the harmonica blows the dust off
your hat brim, and begs for ice cold beer. What a fantastic closing to an epic
album.
Red Mesa takes you on a journey through the desert utilizing
elements of stoner, doom, punk rock and psychedelic fuzz to mimic a
hallucinogenic trip without even taking any drugs. What more do you need? With
this amazing debut album under their belts, the future is wide open, and I
encourage you all to take a listen and keep your eyes out for Red Mesa down the
road. This is some fantastic stuff!!
-The Huntsman
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