Sundrifter : "An Earlier Time"

The stoner rock genre has gone through some changes since its inception in the 90s. It has evolved from being more than Black Sabbath tribute bands who also happen to listen to Thin Lizzy. These guys have gone on to fall under the desert rock tag, but their new album feels like it's from Seattle. They owe more to Soundgarden than Kyuss. There is a sinewy shadow side that Craig Peura's croon raises into more of a passionate wail over. With Chris Cornell in his grave, there is still certainly a void left for this sort of thing. The comparisons to Sound Garden could be more pronounced despite the move into a more surreal sonic space on the second song. It starts off as a heavier song, with a pounding riff before rocketing into an unknown cosmos. 

"Nuclear Sacrifice" might be a heavier more driving song, but it is also much less interesting in terms of its more droning arrangement. "Prehistoric Liftoff" splits the difference and falls between the weighted chugs and the more atmospheric side of the band, but it's not all that catchy either. On "Begin Again" this shift into a more Queens of the Stone Age direction, a pounding under current to wandering vocals that dance around the space swirl of the melodies. They do at least prove they are influenced by artists who are not Sound Garden. 

"Almost Home" is not a ballad but has the relaxed amble that was popular on the airwaves when alternative rock dominated the 90s music scene. This song feels like it is who the band is as it does not lean too heavily on either bandwagon, which they were tailing earlier in the album.  The last track is more of an ambient outro than a song that has the kind of working pieces the guys  I will give this an 8.5, it's pretty solid, but for my tastes does not allow me to hear who these guys are, though the two bands they picked to emulate are two of the best, so they shot for the stars, I think they needed more moments like "Almost Home" which is the strongest song, though the first few are pretty powerful. If you like grunge and smoke a ton of weed then this album sound provide a fitting soundtrack for you particularly if you are too young to realize where you have heard these sounds before. 

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