John Garcia and the Band of Gold - John Garcia and the Band of Gold

Artist: John Garcia and the Band of Gold
Album: John Garcia and the Band of Gold
Year: 2019
Rating: 82/100

It's no secret that I've always been a fan of John Garcia's work since his days fronting Kyuss. From Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida, Hermano and Vista Chino, to the Band of Gold, his distinctive trademark holler has been delighting the ears of stoner rock fans since 1991, and with the self titled effort from him and the Band of Gold, this is his third solo effort.

If there's one old adage that John Garcia seems to firmly believe, it's "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". More of the same is very much the order of the day: taut drumming, thunderous bass grooves that jolt the ears and buzzsaw guitars, topped off with Garcia's vocals, and it works a treat. "Jim's Whiskers" sets the tone of the album nicely, sounding not wholly different to something you'd have heard by Vista Chino or latter day Hermano. "Kentucky II" is a rollicking groover with a tidy opening riff and more of the same, as are "Lillianna" and "Apache Junction".

If there is a criticism of the album to be made, it's that the album won't gain a lot of traction outside of Garcia's and Kyuss's fan base. Those who know and love Kyuss, and Garcia, by extension, will doubtless find something to enjoy here. More of the same, but that's not a bad thing.

Track listing

1. Space Vato
2. Jim's Whiskers
3. Chicken Delight
4. Kentucky II
5. My Everything
6. Lillianna
7. Popcorn (Hit Me When You Can)
8. Apache Junction
9. Don't Even Think About It
10. Cheyletiella
11. Softer Side