Album
Type:
Full
Length
Date
Released:
July 24th
2015
Label:
BeerFuzz
Records
Return
Of The Jackalope - Track Listing:
1. Challenger ‘69
2. Salt River
3. (The Tale Of)
Private John Colter
4. Return Of The
Jackalope
5. Dog
6. (The Beards Upon)
Mt. Rushmore
7. Vengeance
8. The News
9. Black Wolves
10. The Grailknights
11. Beermachine
12. Devil At Your
Heels
13. Warpdrive
Members:
Max Rebel -
Vocals/Guitar,
Fabe van Fuzz -
Guitar,
Damian The Brute -
Drums,
Leo - Bass
Bio:
Imagine a pack of
rabid tumbleweeds sweeping across the hot desert sand of Mojave set
on fire by the nearby explosion of a Dodge Challenger '69 driven into
a fuel soaked pile of Orange Half-Stacks by four whole-body bearded
lumberjacks dressed in bearskin.
You still follow?
Good. Now what if I
tell you said lumberjacks use guitar strings as dental floss and
consider alligator-wrestling the most innocent part of their
childhood? There you go.
The name says it
all: The Truckfighters fight trucks, we ride plains. Inspired by
Stoner Rock legends like Clutch as well as European Half-Gods Planet
Of Zeus and Stoner Train, we here at PLAINRIDE practice what we
consider one of the finest Genres ever to emerge from the sacred
ashes of the 70's.
Our recipe? Earth
Rockin' Drums, A beard growth inducing Bass, Fuzzomental Guitars,
the Roar of a Wolfman and a whole lotta
beer. Ah yeah - and we got
those nasty lil' Jackalopes all over the place. They're like...
F*cking everywhere. What's up with that, man?
Review:
Plainride's
debut album - Return Of The Jackalope - maybe one of excess but that doesn't stop it being one of the freshest Desert Rock/Stoner/Fuzz
Rock albums you're likely to hear this year. It may lack focus here
and there but this is still an outstanding album packed full of great
ideas and riffs to keep you entertained through out the epic running
time.
I'm
not going to do a track by track analysis as there's 13 songs on
the album. Plainride's debut album feels like a soundtrack to a long
lost classic road movie from the 60s/70s as the album has a
movie-style structure. It has a beginning, middle and an end. In
between those moments you're treated to thrills and spills where the
bluesy guitar riffs gives way to exciting Stoner/Fuzz Rock passages
of rebellion and freedom along the desert highway. The title track -
Return Of The Jackalope gives that impression and sees Plainride
venture into Desert/Stoner Rock territory.
You
may recognise some of these tracks from Plainride's acclaimed debut
EP that they released last year. Now I'm not really a fan of bands
recycling material they've released before and putting it on their
debut album but I will forgive Plainride as the songs have been
re-recorded and sound much better than here. All of the songs have a
sense of belonging here as each song moves onto the next exciting
chapter of this album.
Return
Of The Jackalope is the 4th song on the album and that naturally
flows onto the 5th track - Dog - An afterburner style track that
features traces of Truckfighters Desert/Fuzz Rock and QOTSA style pop
sensibilities. What holds it together is the grizzled vocals of lead
vocalist - Max - who is on fire here. Credit must also goto the other
member bands who have written one of the albums more exiting tracks
as this is perfect Stoner Rock material for the incoming Summer
nights and days where you can relax with your friends.
If
you like your Stoner Rock on the blusier side or even on the heavier
side then Plainride have all the bases covered. Plainride even
venture into the world of Prog Rock with two of their songs. The 9
minute blast of The Grailknights and the final song - Warpdrive - a
15 minute epic. Both of these songs see the band explore Progressive
Stoner Rock sonic territory leaving you in a volatile state.
Especially with Warpdrive as it has 11 mins of static drone
noises/sounds that will put some people off. Maybe Plainride should
of cut this song down to a shorter stoner rock track.
You
will no doubt be impressed by the earlier heavy blues rock driven
tracks Vengeance and The News with Plainride singing tales of modern
day outlaws fighting against their so-called enemies. Return Of The
Jackalope is excessive in places and even too crazy for it's own
good. Though what it has going for it and the factor that makes you
coming back for more - is the sheer enjoyment the band is having.
It's an addictive wild ride that pays homage to the classic
Desert/Fuzz Rock scene.
The
production on the album is superb and the album sounds MASSIVE from
beginning to end. Return Of The Jackalope has it faults but it's
nothing compared to the fuel injected adventure that lies ahead of
you for the next 71 mins or so. My advice - Join the hunt for this
particular Jackalope and embrace yourself with the wildest stoner
rock ride this summer.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Timon at BeerFuzz Records for the promo. Return Of The Jackalope
will be available to buy on CD/DD via BeerFuzz Records from July 31st
2015.
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