KING BUFFALO

The Kingdom of a buffalo

I've been listening to King Buffalo for many years, and today they stand as one of the best stoner and psychedelic rock bands out there. With six albums, a handful of EPs, and several live recordings, King Buffalo has steadily carved out a path for themselves, maintaining a solid and evolving sound. The band is always led by their extraordinary guitarist, vocalist, and keyboardist Sean McVay, whose skills as both a musician and composer continue to grow with each release. Alongside him, Dan Reynolds on bass and keyboards, and Scott Donaldson on drums, complete this power trio?each member playing a fundamental role in shaping the band's sound.

Among their impressive discography, one album stands out as a bold leap forward: Dead Star, their third record and also their most progressive. Here, King Buffalo commits to crafting longer and more intricate compositions. "Red Star Part 1 & 2" opens the album with 17 minutes of mantric, meditative sound, as the band takes you on a journey through dark and dense space?layers of delay- and distortion-soaked guitars, deep Taurus pedal drones, and looping drums that echo the atmosphere of Obscured by Clouds-era Pink Floyd. At the same time, there's a certain emotional isolation reminiscent of 2112 by Rush, combined with the sheer weight and force of eternal Black Sabbath. It's an album that reveals how far the band is willing to push their sound while still staying true to their roots.

"Echo of a Warning Star" is a more meditative track, driven by vocals that faintly recall Simon & Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair, yet with a unique twist that makes it their own. "Ecliptic" dives into a 70's krautrock vibe, which is one of the most fascinating aspects of King Buffalo?they are unafraid to explore any sound they like, and they do so with substance and confidence. "Eta Carinae" leans more into classic Black Sabbath territory, with a heavy riff reminiscent of Tool, delivering a crushing song with incredible solos and textures. The title track, "Dead Star," feels like a mourning song, almost like a lullaby for a dying star, filled with melancholic and Rush-like atmospheres. The album closes with an edited reprise of the opening track, tying the journey together perfectly.

Dead Star is one of King Buffalo best work , showing their ability to blend stoner, psychedelic, progressive rock, and even krautrock into a emotional experience. It's an album that rewards multiple listens, revealing new layers each time.

I like this album a lot. King Buffalo are playing a kind of psychedelic stoner rock. On this debut album, they were deploying a nice mix of lighter and "more stoner" moments as well as shorter and longer songs. "Sleeps on a Vine" or "Goliath" (both part together) might give you a good example what to expect. Their calmer moments, e.g. "Down From Sky" have me thinking of early Tea Party (in their more silent moments, of course) minus the oriental ornaments.

Nothing too progressive, really, but what I would like to describe as "organic stoner rock", if that might be a thing...

Nice artwork, too. I guess that's a part of the namesake constellation integrated there. So yeah, it's kind of space rock, too ;-)