By Gruesome Greg
Fargo, North Dakota in winter is a far cry from the desert, but it was there in 2004 that the threesome of Aaron Esterby, Chad Heille and Ryan Grahn recorded a four-song EP. Originally released on vinyl in ’07 by a Norwegian label that specializes in black metal (Lyderhorn Records), MeteorCity got their hands on this record, which has since been remastered by one James Plotkin, and is now available in CD format.
Egypt opens with “Valley of the Kings,” a desert rock cut that wouldn’t be outta place on Sky Valley… “Queen of All Time (Red Giant)” begins with an extended bass solo courtesy of bassist/vocalist Aaron Esterby, who obviously likes Al Cisneros a bit. (Who doesn’t?) It takes over 4 minutes for the guitar to come in, but when it does, it hits like a neutron bomb. Fuck man, I’m really digging the Sleepiness of this tune, which drifts on past the nine-minute mark…
“Dirty Witch” has a 70’s rock sound, not unlike Deep Purple, before it takes a turn for the trippy just past the four-minute mark. That’s three songs, three totally different (albeit somewhat related) styles, if you’re keeping score at home. “Touch Ground” tries to meld all three of em, beginning with a retro-fuzz guitar riff cutting through a rolling rhythm section, before descending into doom territory.
A lost classic no longer, this hidden gem deserves to be heard! Tis a shame that the band has since broken up, putting them right up there with Lowrider and Jerusalem in the realm of one-album wonders…
(MeteorCity)
RATING: 9
