Alabama Thunderpussy
““Staring At The Divine””
(Relapse Records)
Richmond, Virginia’s finest purveyors of southern stoner sludge offer up another potent dose, though not quite as lethal. It’s hard to tell if these road dogs are mellowing like the finest aged moonshine, or if the grittiness that marked their initial releases has slipped through their grubby paws. What is apparent is a welcome return to form following a lackluster release in 2000’s ‘Constellation’. Most noticeably, the approach is cleaner, as if such a thing would be discernable from a band of such cacophony. Almost as remarkable, is the deft manipulation of the low end by newly acquired bassist, John Peters. The guiding melodies created by this four string wizard turn bland self-proclaimed ‘moonshine metal’ into more of a stompin’ backwoods boogie. Another pleasant addition is six-string strummer Ryan Lake. The thundering and hypnotizing riffs created by Ryan and original Thunderpussy, Erik Larsen, crush and thrill with sonic fervor. Bryan Cox diligently handles the somewhat understated drumming, creating a skeleton to be brought to life by these electric magicians. And the unforgettable howl of Johnny Throckmorton’s raspy voice raises goose flesh. Using an aural narcotic of the finest harmony and a dual guitar attack akin to the almighty Judas Priest, the Pussies could quite possibly crawl out from under the bloated heap of stoner rock corpses and show the world what hard work and determination can really do.
