Crag Dweller - Magic Dust (2012)
Ooooh this is a killer album!..
Sure, I may have just blown any mystique that this review could have potentially possessed with that opening line, but dammit I really don't care. If you like your tunes with a healthy equal dose of classic, stoner and southern rock then Magic Dust is gonna be right up your street.
Like a big blended mesh of the heavier side of a long lost vintage era, this motley bunch of Oregonians, relentlessly deliver catchy riff after catchy riff. And when I say 'relentlessly', I mean, every. Single. Track. The pace the guys manage keep up is truly mind blowing. What's more, every aspect of the trio's individual inputs compliment each other perfectly. Yeah, that should go without saying for a band really, but you'd be surprised how often you'll catch the occasional track by even the most established band that just doesn't quite sit right. Not here though, Travis's drums thunder and break down effortlessly forming a perfect foundation to the Rich's vocals, then all accompanied with, for me the killer aspect that steals the show on this album, the guitars. In fact the howling licks that resonate throughout this album really remind me of the late great Rory Gallagher (if you're thinking 'who!?', then look him up). With twinges of southern rock and blues, that light tinniness in the tone, a touch of reverb and an unparalleled skill to build up to a riff before fully unleashing it and blowing your hair back to last week. It's a subtle art, but goddamn it's an effective one in the right hands, and Crag Dweller weald it mercilessly. It's guys like this that make me desperate to start my old record label, if for nothing else than to sign them up and get them on the same bill as the likes of Clutch, Orange Goblin and Wolfmother, because I reckon they could give them one hell of a run for their money.
So if you feel like you were born 30 odd years too late, or if you do actually remember the 70's hard rock scene with a longing wistfulness then start checking the sofa for loose change, because you really need this album! For a mere $5 too... C'mon, you know you want it!...
For Fans Of; Deep Purple, Graveyard, West Bruce & Laing, Asteroid, Motorcity Daredevils
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