John Garcia - John Garcia

John Garcia

John Garcia

by V. Srikar at 01 August 2014, 6:51 PM

It’s quite baffling sometimes to find so many Stoner albums being released every month, JOHN GARCIA is a familiar name in the world of Stoner Rock and Metal having already been part of big bands like VISTA CHINO and KYUSS, which gives his self-titled album the automatic lift above other recent releases in Stoner world as he brings his new record to his dedicated fans.

But familiarity doesn’t count for anything if the music is not satisfactory, but all my fears die shortly after I listen to half the album. With cheesy catchy lyrics JOHN’s clean vocals work wonders for the music and suits perfectly here as he blasts genre defining Stoner Rock with a touch of Desert Rock in few songs like “Her Bullets Energy”. The album as a whole is a touch slower compared to most Stoner albums coming out these days and actually works for the music as the ever juicy thick guitar riffs refuse to leave your ears even minutes after the song is ended. In songs like “Confusion”, one can hear the fuzzy guitar work which forms the very crust of this beautiful record.

Unlike other Stoner records, JOHN doesn’t depend on speed and catchiness, but rather on psychedelic feel of the Stoner genre, and given his soul touching vocals, it’s hard to believe that a solo record can be this impressive. During the 8^th song “Argleben”, just when I was thinking the album was getting monotonous, JOHN brings in a faster song in “Saddleback” and keeps the album interesting. For fans who are expecting this album to have shades of his other bands will be disappointed as he takes a different route, but still impressive none the less.

The production is just fine without being too polished. Everything about this album gives an amazing feeling and is sure to be on repeat mode from now, and actually makes me want to dig more of JOHN’s other works. This should please all Stoner fans worldwide. Just pick a bong and play this to take you to another planet!