Release Date: April 20th 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Fuzz Lightyear - Fuzz Lightyear: Tracklisting
Riff Wizard Pt. 1
Blasting Off
High Orbit
Neutron Star/Desert Planet
Fuzz Lightyear
Riff Wizard Pt. 2
Members
John Spargo - Bass/Vocals
Felipe Tristan - Guitars
Brad Day - Drums
Review
Doom/Fuzz/Stoner Rockers Fuzz Lightyear play a bit of everything from the Underground Scene. Focusing primarily on an aggressive FUZZ based attitude with the band adding elements of Doom Metal, Psych Rock and Stoner Metal along the way. The overall sound also has a catchy and subtle Garage Rock flow. Inspired by bands such as Black Sabbath, SLEEP, KYUSS, Truckfighters and Asteroid. This band has a lot to say with their music and they do bring some Prog and Psych Rock atmospherics along the way.
The music sounds quite vintage with the Garage Rock drive of the album. There's a highly original style of FUZZ Rock which you can hear on the stunning opening tracks of Riff Wizard Pt. 1 and Blasting Off. With the band adding a fantastical and spaced out creative vision to the album. The songs can be quite deafening in places with Fuzz Lightyear matching the gloomy vision of Black Sabbath against the hazy Desert/Fuzz Rock overtones of Truckfighters and KYUSS. These two songs have their fair share of extended guitar jams and funky grooves which remain highly melodic but be prepared for a more down-tuned experience when the mood changes multiple times on Blasting Off.
Bassist/Vocalist John Spargo has a classical Desert/Stoner Rock presence around him with his intense Bass Guitar and vocals that have a certain "Proto-Doom" quality to them which he uses to his full advantage on the majority of the album which impresses a great deal on Blasting Off.
Third track High Orbit is more of a Fuzzed Up Psych Rock song with the band adding glitchy psychedelic and distorted sounds. This has a more 60's and 70's quality to the track with the Heavy Psychedelic environments flirting with Garage Rock and Doomed Out heaviness. Expect moments of aggressive freakouts and dark fuzzy attitudes with Fuzz Lightyear also playing a hazy Blues Rock sound. The song can be stripped back in both audio quality and instrumental jams that's one of the most intense and fuzzed up parts of the album. There's some epic AMPLIFIER DISTORTION on this track which shows a different side to Fuzz Lightyear that could easily be classed as Psychedelic Boogie Rock.
Fourth track Neutron Star/Desert Planet is the standout track here and where Fuzz Lightyear impresses the most. Taking a more Prog Rock narrative which sees a lot of instrumental flair for the opening stages of the track. Heavy but with a soulful and solitary attitude with the band jamming to a more cautious style. Reminds me of Stinking Lizaveta in places but with that added Doom/Fuzz/Stoner Rock energy. The track does have a Post-Rock or Post-Doom delivery which the band start to focus with for the remainder of the album. The guitars have a sludgy drive that is perhaps Felipe Tristan's best moments of the album with the stunning FUZZ based rhythm section leading the way. Drummer Brad Day is a fucking beast on this song with some powerful beats being mostly in the background but still making his superior presence known.
The final two tracks of Fuzz Lightyear and Riff Wizard Pt. 2 are more of the same but the band still offer some exciting new grooves to entice listeners with that hark back to the good old days of 1990's era Doom/Stoner Metal. Things do become more modern sounding on the final track of Riff Wizard Pt. 2 with Fuzz Lightyear playing more extended jams with a gloomy attitude to match.
Fuzz Lightyear's debut self-titled album is an unexpected joy. The album is a superbly produced album that showcases the band's creative talents down to a fine art. They have almost every aspect of the WEEDIAN underground scene covered that's brought alive with their love of FUZZ Rock/Metal.
Hopefully Fuzz Lightyear can gain a decent sized audience within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. As this album is packed to the brim of outstanding grooves that will have you coming back for more.
Words by Steve Howe.
Thanks to Fuzz Lightyear for the promo.
Fuzz Lightyear self titled debut album will be available to buy digitally from April 20th 2023.
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