British heavy psych legends Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats are back to take us on another harrowing journey through the blackened hellscape of their demented take on psychedelic metal: the feverish and fraught-with-peril Wasteland. Retaining their trademark vintage fuzzed-out psych metal sound, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats are right in the pocket: gargantuan riffs and scalding guitar solos underneath ghostly, wailing vocals, thunderous drums, and snaking bass.
K.R. Starrs (Uncle Acid himself – lead vocals, lead guitar, lead songwriter) and his crew have turned heads and twisted minds since their thrashing, cacophonous debut in 2010. The aptly titled Wasteland is the natural next step in their catalogue: a psychotic, blistering journey through an ashen field of decimated hopes and dreams. Even the acoustic moments carry the nightmarish sense of impending doom, wrapped in delicate melody and sparse, agonizing song structures held together with just the right amount of shaky, noodly keys.
From bone-crushing and wild-eyed to droning and hypnotic, Wasteland shows Uncle Acid’s dexterity and ability to innovate their sound wild remaining true to their late ‘60s musical roots. You can definitely imagine Ozzy singing over some of these towering riffs, with the fuzzy Sabbath sound anchoring the fleet-fingered, lightning-strike guitar solos. Brimming with apocalyptic sensibilities and an omnipresent sense of urgency, this is music for the day the portal opens between worlds and the Old Ones arrive to reclaim the earth.
What really sets Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats apart from the emerging throng of heavier psychedelic bands is their extraordinary sense of melodic direction and commitment to their sound. They know exactly who they are and who they are making this music for. It’s like they’ve put together the soundtrack for the ultimate Halloween party, but you can throw it any day of the year. The screeching, lo-fi production gives way to a deep well of pensive acoustic meandering, gradually growing more and more chaotic until it breaks apart in a tumultuous display of powerful, heavy psychedelic rock.
With the roar of a zombie crawling its way out of its grave, Wasteland is another fine addition to Uncle Acid’s discography. Pairs well with climbing a mountain to defeat a sorcerer, being chased by a werewolf, or summoning a multidimensional demigod. A top-notch record, it is another excellent refutation of the idea that rock and roll is dead.
Rating: 9 out of 10
