Nebula
Charged

"Charged" by Nebula is one of those albums that every stoner rock fan should have listened to at least once in their life. Not because we are dealing with a masterpiece of the genre, but because it is music played with genuine grit and that surprises with its incredible combination of power, melody, and immediacy, qualities already shown to us by Eddie Glass (vocals, guitar) and Ruben Romano (drums) when they were in Fu Manchu: a name certainly not new in stoner circles. Accompanying them on bass is Mark Abshire.

After the beautiful debut album "To The Center," one might have expected a continuation of the sound influenced by the psychedelic movement and faintly progressive traits. "Charged" detaches from these elements and embraces slow, granite-like riffs à la Black Sabbath (All The Way is a clear example), while also incorporating acoustic solutions (Travelin' Man's Blues, Goodbye Yesterday, Cosmic Egg), yet never denying its roots, those that forged the classic stoner sound: rawly distorted guitar, the overuse of low frequencies, and the evocation of desert landscapes. Traditional heavy rides like Ignition, Giant, or Instant Gravitation, are not lacking, and they are greatly appreciated for their execution speed and the excellent chemistry present in the trio: even when Eddie Glass performs his flamboyant solos, the guitar rarely overshadows the other instruments, instead floating with the rhythm section. As for the lyrics, intellectualisms (like the music) are taken, crumpled up, and thrown out the window of a speeding car. There is no space for refinements here; this is music born in the desert dust.

The greatest merit of this album is without a doubt that each song possesses its own identity, ensuring variety and constant freshness throughout the listening experience. For this reason, I recommend this little gem not only to stoner fans but to all enthusiasts of hard rock and heavy metal in general.