Review Summary: Fuzz, riffs, melodies, jams come at you like an Asteroid, fool!
...And another space-rock, stoner rock, and psychedelic band goes unnoticed among the music population. Asteroid is the name, and they reside in the country of Sweden, the land of many stoner rockers to be exact. This album right here is their debut full-length, which was released in 2007 on Fuzzorama Records. If there is one thing Asteroid takes seriously, it is a precise sense of jamming and crafting a melodic song behind it.
Asteroid starts off in "The Great Unknown," and in this very unfamiliar territory, a slow jam oozes full of heavy guitar riffs and accompanying organ to take over space. To add to the foundation, there's a nice balance between a lower register vocal and high register vocal harmony between the guitarist and bassist. Throughout the album each vocalist will trade off the main vocal duties, but usually the choruses are full of great harmonies; for example, the choruses to "Panoramic Telescope" and another favorite, "Doctor Smoke," are great sing-a-longs for such rockin' tunes. Asteroid is said to be a three piece, but there's a fine addition of organ and dual guitar leads to make the album sound more full, spacey, and rocking. The distortion from the guitars is covered in fuzz, a trademark within this genre, but honestly, it always makes the riffs sound massive. Just check out "Strange Trip" or "The 13th Witching Hour," when the fuzz kicks on, the power of the riff will compel you!
If you are new to stoner rock, or if you are veteran to the genre, definitely give this album your full attention. They deserve credit for their sense of melody, use of vocal harmonies, and songwriting quality. And if you like "influences" to enjoy music, you have definitely come to the right place in space.
