"Dead River Blues"
Punkuation!/Firebox Records (2004)

Sea of Tranquility

With heaping helpings of palm-muted riffs and in-your-teeth drumming that calls to mind a slightly more groove-intensive Metallica circa Ride The Lightning with the late Alice In Chains front man Layne Staley sitting in, Stereochrist has done gone and given us an album that blends the best parts of old metal, grunge (if you call Alice In Chains grunge––What the heck was grunge anyway?) and a little pinch of stoner rock. It also gives an interesting glimpse of where music might be going in the coming years. From the sounds of this we’re going out back to the swamp to get our feet dirty and get a little grit under our fingernails. Too cool.
Check out “Smack The Rain” and “Mind Ammo” for some of the more convincing and harrowing moments here but ignore the brooding “Supersorrow,” the masterful “All Along The River” and the revealing “Christ Was An Angry Man” at your peril. If these guys don’t get some serious radio play at the end of this year, I’m climbing to the top of a building and throwing off an effigy of Clay Aiken. - Jedd Beaudoin

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