Rise 13 - Magick Rock Vol. 1

They Say...

Review by Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

The 1990s saw the rise of a style that came to called stoner rock, which found a lot of post-Baby Boomer bands recalling the heavy metal and psychedelic hard rock of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Black Sabbath was the band that had the greatest influence on stoner rock, but stoner bands also showed an appreciation of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Blue Cheer and others. When a lot of alternative metal bands of the 1990s were being influenced by hip-hop, industrial noise and grunge, stoner bands tended to favor a more retro approach. One of the most significant players in stoner rock was England's Rise Above Records, which was founded by Lee Dorrian of the band Cathedral. Dorrian was the brains behind Rise 13: Magick Rock, Vol. 1, a 1999 metal compilation that makes stoner rock a high priority thanks to tracks like Orange Goblin's "Quincy the Pig Boy," Drag Pack's "Jonny's Last Race," Spirit Caravan's "The Departure" and Sally's "4.12." Also appealing are Goatsnake's very heavy remake of Black Oak Arkansas' "Hot Rod" and Shallow's "Sugar Glider," which combines punk-ish angst with a Sabbath-minded riff. (Note: this Shallow shouldn't be confused with the Kansas-based band Shallow, an alternative pop-rock outfit that has nothing to do with metal or stoner rock and has been compared to My Bloody Valentine and Lush). Rise Above isn't the last word on stoner rock -- and a few of its bands aren't necessarily stoner rock per se -- but it's among the CDs to pick up if you're exploring the stoner genre for the first time.