After straying off the heavier path and mixing it up on some solo work over the last few years, legendary singer John Garcia returns to the heavy stoner rock world in the form of his latest project in the Band Of Gold. Even through the acoustic stuff and a more personal and mellower route in recent years, the former Kyuss crooner has never lost his signature voice and it’s pretty self evident on this latest work that it’s not waivering anytime soon.
I don’t think there is much to fault when it comes to the work of John Garcia, the sheer amount of quality in whatever project he has been involved in is undoubtedly on point. Whether it’s the legendary work of Kyuss or the underrated Unida to later incarnations like Vista Chino and his solo work, the man oozes solid rock gold and here on John Garcia and the Band Of Gold, we see some of the more high energy rock n roll come through once again.
I put this collection of songs closer to Unida than anything else, if one had to make that inevitable comparison that’s sometimes unavoidable when trying to explain without explaining the music at hand. Those who have never been turned onto Unida would be highly suggested to go listen to the few albums they did manage to release. It’s like Kyuss but with a little more muscle in the engines so to speak and the Band Of Gold definitely have a few revs in the proverbial hood that drives this thing along.
Opening with a short instrumental aptly titled “Space Vato“, you are automatically hooked into the fuzzy tones and energetic riffs that are obviously displayed out. The fact that Chris Goss, who has previously worked with Garcia in Kyuss, is named as producer for these songs is not at all that surprising as you sit through each track and be reminded on that particular sound that John Garcia has been tied to for so many years and how well it has been captured here. Bass heavy, solid grooves and guitar tones that would make any guitarist shriek in delight. This is a healthy package of pure grit and hooks.
“Jim’s Whiskers” carries that idea forward unmistakenly with a foot stomping groove and energetic bursts of youthful licks, early on it’s all engines running. “Chicken Delight” is more funk oriented with a dancey rhythm that is a sure fire winner for the live show. “Kentucky II” gives a little throw back to classic rock, adding a bit of a Jimi Hendrix touch to the whole operation while “Lillianna” works the other way around, giving the listener something more contemporary and slicker.
Of course nothing epitomises the signature sound of this genre more than one of the stand outs in “My Everything“, a laid back stoner rocker that captures the essence of the kind of vibe you want out of a record like this. “Popcorn (Hit Me When You Can)” continues that trademark but this time Garcia reaches into highly intense moments with vocal ranges straining to far depths never reached before. Some singers go the opposite after doing this for some time but Garcia seems hell bent on giving more than 100 percent to his commitment to his vocals, an added bonus when it becomes the focal point of many songs.
The album throws in some more dynamic content in the form of tracks like the spacey “Apache Junction“, the darker tones of “Don’t Even Think About It” and the trippy swagger of “Cheyletiella” before ending on a more mellower song in “Softer Side“. This second half may not come off quite as strong as the first half which is fairly common in albums but it does give it a more interesting flavor and will more than likely give the listener time to grow into them and unsurprisingly in some cases, become their favorites in the long run. But for now John Garcia and the Band Of Gold have come through with a great rock record that’s going to give fans of Garcia’s more heavier work something to really latch onto.
TRACKLIST
Space Vato
Jim’s Whiskers
Chicken Delight
Kentucky II
My Everything
Lillianna
Popcorn (Hit Me When You Can)
Apache Juncion
Don’t Even Think About It
Cheyletiella
Softer Side
