If you can picture a SoCal heavy-psych jam-band fronted by Tony Hawk’s son… you’d have Petyr, which is literally a SoCal heavy-psych jam band fronted by Tony Hawk’s son. I suppose there’s often been some overlap between heavy riffs and skateboarding, whether it’s Earthless, The Shrine, or probably even Fu Manchu if you go back far enough. But that’s not to say this outfit wouldn’t have been signed if it wasn’t Tony Hawk’s kid. They can really riff with the best of ‘em!
Petyr’s self-titled debut starts off with “Texas Igloo,” which takes less than 20 seconds to kick out the jams. The band wails away for several minutes, riding on a heavy bass line, with several swirling guitar solos, before the first reverb-soaked vocal comes in about halfway through the eight-minute runtime. But that’s not to say they adopt a verse-chorus structure from there, as another furious guitar flurry soon follows before they settle into some serious stoner grooves.
By contrast, “Stairway to Attic” is a sub-three-minute fast-paced flourish that’s equal parts Hawkwind and early Iron Maiden. “Satori III” likely takes its name from the Flower Travelling Band, and this sombre, six-and-a-half-minute number might not sound out of place on its namesake album. “Old and Creepy” has a bit of an old-school Pentagram feel, while “Kraft” even reminds me of Sleep. Sounds like these guys have spent plenty of time getting high and listening to records.
If there’s one weakness here, it might actually be the vocals. All the reverb and effects in the world can’t hide the fact that Hawk can’t really sing, although I’ve admittedly heard worse.
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