Album Review: Big Scenic Nowhere - Vision Beyond Horizon
Reviewed by Carl Black
I didn’t say super group, you didn’t say super group. Big Scenic Nowhere are not a super group. Nobody said super group. A super group is a collection of over bloated, under sexed stars from the past who need a quick buck. String a couple of tunes together, put it out and watch it sell like light saber dildos.
Big Scenic Nowhere are not a super group. But when Gary Arce from Yawning Man and Bob Balch from Fu Manchu start tossing riffs and song ideas between each other, we have two heavyweights from the stoner world who could in essence be one half of a super group. When they started to get their mates in on the act that included members from Mondo Generator, Opeth and Nick Oliveri, we might just have a super group.
When this collection of music muscle begins to flex it sounds as you’d expect. Great song writing, clever ideas and more fuzz than an angora jumper fresh from the tumble dryer. The first song, 'The Glim', sets the tone of the album. Think Soundgarden between the Bad Motor Finger and Loud Love era, without the awkward drumming, better production, but less of the high pitched singing. You then get a right curve ball, straight up punk; 'The Paranoid' could have been written in DC in the early 80’s and re-worked here. 'Hidden Wall' and 'En Las Sombras' are slow starters with beautiful guitar parts before turning on the fuzz. It gets where it’s going to and you're engaged all the way. 'Tragic Motion' is both hard and soft at the same time and the album is closed by another curve ball in the shape of 'The War Years', which could have been stolen from a Polynesian native who has heard too much Jane’s Addiction.
All too soon the album is done. A varied and expansive collection of songs that would go down a storm at Desertfest. A desert storm no less. So welcome to the fold the first super group of the decade. Just without the over bloating and light saber dildos.
Big Scenic Nowhere release 'Vision Beyond Horizon' on January 31st via Heavy Psych Sounds.
