Ok, so you know when you wake up in the middle of the night and you think you hear a noise. You're absolutley frozen, completely alert, and totally focused on one thing. You don't move an inch. You can hardly breathe. Well, that was me the first time I listened to this record. From the opening notes, I was totally transfixed. I just kicked back and listened with that kind of intensity.
I'm not a stoner (anymore), so I'm not accustomed to hearing good stoner music. This self titled debut from Black Mountain is a bluesy, trippy dose of psychedelic/acid rock. It's got some Sabbath in it, some Zeppelin, some Velvet Underground. There's retro guitar work, groovy bass lines, a chunk of kick ass saxaphone playing and some moody, swilrling organ work on this record.
Derivitave? Referential? Yes, but there is enough mojo in their sound to transcend those labels. It is much, much more than the sum of its parts. It is a great rock and roll album. Part of the success of this record is due to the impressive vocals of Stephen McBean and Amber Webber. McBean's deep bluesy voice works well with Webber's smooth but tough pipes. Call me a sicko if you want, but I'd like to hear that woman scream at the top of her lungs.
Is this record worth spending money on? Yes it is. It's a stoner record that even non-stoners can appreciate.
