Orange Blossom Jam
Mystic Jar Of Doom

Only recently have I realized how many excellent bands we have here in the Marche region, in the stoner rock genre. I had previously talked about it with the Jesi-based Palmer Generator, a small but great trio that still has to grow, about the need to give space to emerging and solid bands. But never have I felt so joyful and excited to present to you what is, in all probability, the best band from Marche (and perhaps Italy) in this genre.

The Orange Blossom Jam from Ancona (and a bit from Osimo as well) are, just like Palmer, difficult to categorize, as they also mix psychedelia, doom, and stoner, blending it all into something strange, abnormal, almost astral. All a result of an orgy between Black Sabbath, Yob, Goatsnake, and Pink Floyd, and from the cover of the album, Mystic Jar Of Doom, one can already sense the strong influence that the English band Electric Wizard had on them, but it would be a shame to compare the OBJ to all these great names, as doing so would risk unfairly belittling them. But comparisons aside, the OBJ manage to impress in their own way, with their own strength. Just a taste of the opening track "I" is enough, capable of taking one’s mind to another dimension, with strong psychedelic tones and high metallic distortions. Here too the choice of leaving more space to the music itself, so that it speaks to the listener, is very fitting. A "silence" that is broken with the following "Forever High," which starts with light psychedelic arpeggios, then breaks through with brutal, mean doom/stoner, and Matteo Stronati delivers an excellent performance as a singer of the genre. There's absolutely no time to catch your breath, as the album proceeds with "II," faster and meaner than the first part, where Stronati becomes more guttural, more bestial. But the peak is reached with the penultimate "Bees Dance," where the guitarist Nick Soltani and his solo shine, an acid trip seasoned with malignity served in a muddy chalice.

These are the Orange Blossom Jam, another band with a long road ahead and much to learn, but they can boast to the whole world of a debut with an atomic mushroom!

RATING = 9/10