DEAD MEADOW

Dead Meadow are one of the premier psychedelic bands to come out of the U.S. in the past 20 years. Their self-titled debut is a showcase of retro, bong-rattling psychedelic rock to the highest (no pun intended) degree. On this album they mix the heavy, fuzzy riffage of Black Sabbath, the wah-wah pedal workouts of Jimi Hendrix, and the mellow psychedelia of Pink Floyd. Every song is superbly executed, and immediately creates a smokey atmosphere that remains throughout. My personal favorite track on the LP is the opener, "Sleepy Silver Door," which hypnotizes as much as it hits you over the head. The only caution I would give the listener is singer/guitarist Jason Simon's vocals. His voice kind of has a nasally whine to it, but it actually fits the music pretty well. I feel that this album is their brightest moment, with their third release, "Shivering King and Others," coming in a close second. Following that album, Dead Meadow would gradually move in a more psychedelic pop direction, dropping some of the heaviness from their early days. While not very progressive in nature, Dead Meadow's debut is an absolute must for fans of heavy psychedelic rock. Highly recommended for late nights around a wood fire with friends. 5 stars.