When one considers the, shall we say, "social" interaction that is usually involved with smoking weed, it's no wonder that the stoner rock community seems to produce more intra-group collaborations than most musical cliques, and in
Hail Hornet, the genre has yet another such "supergroup" to follow in the footsteps of luminary predecessors like
Down,
the Desert Sessions, and
the Mighty Nimbus. Comprised of vocalist Troy Medlin (of
Sourvein), guitarist Vincent Burke (
Beaten Back to Pure,
Sourvein), bassist "Dixie" Dave Collins (
Weedeater,
Buzzov*en,
Bongzilla), and drummer
Erik Larson (normally a guitarist with
Alabama Thunderpussy,
the Mighty Nimbus, etc.),
Hail Hornet's pedigree certainly reads like an embarrassment of riches, and their eponymous debut album doesn't give failure a chance with its notably energetic brand of stoner metal. If anything, the quartet seem focused on their hardcore influences, as this would explain the preponderance of short, slam dancing numbers like "Golden Whore," "Devil's Hound," "Concussion Conspiracy," and the wildly schizophrenic "Nerves," which provides an especially stellar showcase for
Larson's talents behind the kit. But the guys in
Hail Hornet also pile on the sludge nice 'n' thick for more deliberate dirges like the ultra-creepy "He Who Walks Behind the Rose Bros." (featuring some wonderfully wacky whispered lyrics) and protracted album closer "Swarm of Malice," while making use of every gear available when chugging down the highway strapped to voracious riff engines like "Believe in Black," "Life's Riddle," and the soft/hard knockout of "Foxy F**k / No Solution." All told, the group's fine-tuned musical interplay and obviously effortless creative collaboration make this a surefire candidate for stoner rock album of the year, and suggests it won't be the last time we hear from
Hail Hornet, no matter how busy their primary bands may keep them. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia