The Stone Eye – South of the Sun (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24bit/44,1kHz | Time – 00:54:53 minutes | 631 MB | Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Eclipse Records
The Stone Eye was founded in 2014 by drummer Jeremiah Bertin and Guitarist/Vocalist Stephen Burdick. Following a few years and a couple of lineup changes, with former-Bassist Wolfgang Noll contributing to this upcoming release before his departure, we have now arrived at The Stone Eye’s current incarnation featuring the original two members along with Guitarist/Vocalist Christian Mechem and now Bassist, Mike Pacca.
When Eclipse Records President, Chris Poland, discovered The Stone Eye, he was most taken by the ironic contrast between their visual image, often laced with comedy and biting satire, and the intricate heaviness of the music. This hybrid is better seen than it is told, and one simply needs to watch the videos of the former and latter to see Charlie Chaplin-esque chase scenes, cross dressing sadists in devil masks, purple and dirty-blonde glam wigs, and decapitated heads singing joyfully. Mix that with innovative guitar work (sometimes smoothed over with a tasty layer of muck) a bass with nothing but balls and bottom, and delicious, progressive mixed-meter rhythm changes that re-set your spine and boom like thunder in a tunnel.
The Stone Eye are good humored and outlandish, while still maintaining a level of musical innovation that is potent and relevant. Of course, new bands are always subject to comparisons, but this one is difficult to pigeonhole. They just don’t sound like anyone else, at least not comprehensively, like Queens of the Stone Age could be compared to Alice in Chains. The Stone Eye are The Stone Eye. They are new, yet somehow familiar, as if they would play our backyard barbecue in the afternoon and harness the same intensity that evening at a sold-out arena.
The Stone Eye are the epitome of the saying, I sometimes don’t know where they are going, but they always seem to get there. The band induces the listener to explore and evolve. Conversely, they play like they know us. Like good old friends. Like coming home.
“Homage To Micah is a lush, ethereal instrumental arrangement that offers a Frank Zappa-esque respite 10 tracks into the album. Meanwhile Witches & Raptures is a delightfully intoxicating treat of twists and turns that rock’s greatest enigma would have adored.” – Distorted Sound Magazine
“Straddling the line between progressive rock and stoner rock, following the path laid out by bands such as Mastodon and Huntsmen, this Philadelphian quartet have created a thoughtful and intricate album that requires repeated listens and a bit of concentration to fully appreciate” – Emerging Rock Bands Magazine
“You’ll find yourself expressing your enjoyment externally as much as internally when tracks like Who’s There, Witches & Raptures and later, tracks like Presence of the Mind, Riots and Gone Away. Just a small selection from an album that is unswervingly interesting and continuously fun. Never quite one thing or another, the blend of musical influences and how The Stone Eye shapes them around their own musicianship makes this one hell of a memorable listen.”
Tracklist:
1. Who’s There (03:40)
2. Halfway House (04:31)
3. Catatonia (02:56)
4. Witches & Raptures (04:24)
5. 60/26 (04:22)
6. South of the Sun (03:41)
7. Aleutian Summer (04:40)
8. Presence of the Mind (04:43)
9. Ethereal Visions (06:16)
10. Homage to Micah (02:29)
11. Riots (04:25)
12. Gone Away (03:50)
13. Saylo (05:00)
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