Bongzilla
Amerijuanican

A new CD from the icons of desert music, which, honestly, haven't made me do somersaults with their latest releases. But without hesitation, I can say they've produced the best CD since "Gateway."

For those who don't know, the genre offered is a mix of doom and blues (of which there is only an influence, like in the best Black Sabbath), a voice that calling it sepulchral would be an understatement, with sludge and drone veins here and there - very well blended with the rest, one must say - all seasoned with astronomical amounts of THC. This is, essentially, stoner.

Artwork is sparse and minimal, in true cannabinoid style as tradition dictates, but with definite impact, perfectly matching the album's title. Play: the opener and title track kicks off with a riff halfway between the dirtiest Black Sabbath and a ganja field, suggesting one of the most haunting, morbid, trippy records the group has ever composed. A raw production as the style commands, muddled yet clear at the same time, that doesn't interfere with the work's intelligibility. And the review could easily end here, as the beauty of this work really lies in its reliance on the repetitiveness and obsessiveness of the riffs.

A true gem of attitude is the interlude of "Stonesphere," where "through the album's ways, from the bong's bubbling, the sharp scent of cannabis goes to slay souls."

I repeat: the best album since "Gateway," certainly not historical but likely to be remembered for a little while longer.