Review Summary: Turn it up, folks
Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Valley Of The Sun have been blazing a trail in the stoner rock underground for over a decade now.
The Chariot marks the group’s fourth full-length, alongside a pair of EPs. The mention of the term “stoner rock” might induce a momentary groan for a fair number of readers, as there are few genre scenes currently more widely mired in bland mediocrity. That said,
The Chariot hews in a slightly different direction than what might be expected. Most stoner rock records seem designed to form the soundtrack to either barreling down a desert highway or to partaking in,
uhhh, “recreational substances”. This album would be a perfectly competent accompaniment to either of those activities, sure, but its vibes are also deeply in thrall to grunge and more traditional hard rock. Indeed, on a list of present influences, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots are just as notable as Clutch and Fu Manchu. The results are a fairly relentless balls-to-the-wall ten song sequence. “Sweet Sands” is an immensely rousing opener near-guaranteed to put a strut in your step, while “As We Decay” slows things down with somber bluesy aplomb, and late-album highlight “Running Out Of Love” roars ferociously. The riffs and solos don’t disappoint, and Ryan Ferrier’s vocals are compelling (being a poor man’s Chris Cornell isn’t an insult, after all). In short, while not the most unique album on the planet,
The Chariot does provide a satisfying dose of that good old rock and roll sound.
