The final month of the year is often a barren one regarding album and EP releases, usually by November most bands/artists have released their quota of music for the year and are either getting in some last minute gigs or are settling down for the festive season, not this year though. Maybe its a response to two years of uncertainty and a lockdown that has triggered this whirlwind of creativity, Desert Psychlist doesn't know, but December 2022 is turning out to be just as busy as all the other months leading up to it have been this year. One of those bands gracing us with a December release are North Dakota's Gypsy Wizard Queen, a trio consisting of Chris Ellingson (guitar/vocals); Chad Heille (drums) and Mitch Martin (bass/vocals), whose self-titled debut is a highly enjoyable blend of stoner rock/metal, heavy psych and the blues sprinkled with southern and country rock textures.
You might expect a song titled "Witch Lung" to be some doomic tome boasting reverberating low tuned riffs, ponderous rhythms and harsh type vocal content and in parts that is exactly what this opening number is, in other parts however it is a bluesy mix of heavy psych haziness flecked with just the merest hints of southern swagger and country rock twang, the two differing dynamics coming together to create a Crypt Trip meets Dopelord type vibe that is both diverse and entertaining. Following track, "Paranoid Humanoid", has a more of a four to the floor stoner rock groove, driven by some impressive drum and bass work from Heille and Martin, that is routinely taken off piste by Ellingson's superb lysergic laced guitar work, it also boasts pretty cool vocals, not exactly rock-god powerful but clean gritty and highly effective. The excellently titled "Yeti Davis Eyes" is up next and like "Witch Lung" blends full on heavy stoneristic rock with heavy psychedelics only this time with the vocals taking on an almost rap style meter while "The Good Ride" is a languid country tinted instrumental with low rumbling bass and steady solid drumming creating the perfect platform for Ellingson to launch twanging guitar motifs and swirling solos from. Closing track, "Stoned Age", is like listening to the Allman Brothers jamming with Egypt after they've necked copious amounts of steroids and speed, which is not surprising when you consider Heille was once Egypt's drummer, either way it's a barnstormin' finale to what is a pretty barnstormin' album.
"Gypsy Wizard Queen" might not come wrapped in festive paper with a neat bow and a gift card sitting on top but it has landed wham bang thank you mam in the middle of a month not normally known for its quality releases, so if you are a fan of seriously good hard rock, spliced with elements of country rock and heavy psych, then you cannot go far wrong in gifting this to yourself this Christmas. or for that matter anytime of the year
Check it out .....
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