SLO BURN
Three thirty in the afternoon is not exactly the most conducive time to be watching a band play indoors, (although in this case 4.20 would have been appropriate) so it comes as a pleasant surprise to see that the aptly named Joint is packed. Perhaps more surprising is the average age of the audience, many of whom would have been toddlers the last time Slo Burn played a US show some twenty years ago. With John Garcia providing vocals, you’d expect the old Kyuss diehards, of course, but this turnout is impressive, all the more so because people know the tunes word for word. The rock world, it seems, has been waiting for this.
And with good reason. Because although Slo Burn, with just one rare EP released back in the day, don’t exactly have the same legacy as his former band, or even, for that matter, later bands like Unida and Hermano, they were still a worthy addition to the stoner rock scene that Garcia helped to create, and one that was criminally overlooked at the time.
Today, as you’d expect, we get all four tracks from the aforementioned EP, Amusing The Amazing, and the five tracks from the earlier demo, all of which featured on later re-releases. And, er, a couple of unfamiliar tunes, an hour long set taking up all of their arsenal and suggesting that a new record is long overdue. Although, that said, it doesn’t feel like filler material at any point, even if July and Pilot The Dune are the obvious standout songs.
As ever, Garcia doesn’t say much, his banter pretty much limited to “I smell weed,” and “Slo Burn is back,” both statements receiving a roar of approval. But then again, what else is there to say? Slo Burn is definitely back!
