Release Date: March 29th 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Folklore From The Other Desert Cities - Tracklisting
1.Creosote Breeze
2.Swamp Cooler Reality
3.Other Desert Cities
4.The Devil Waits For Me
Members
Mario Lalli - Bass/Vocals
Sean Wheeler - Vocals/Poetry
Brant Bjork - Guitar
Ryan Güt - Drums
Review
Mario Lalli & The Rubber Snake Charmers is the new Desert Rock/Stoner Rock supergroup featuring the talents of Mario Lalli, Ryan Gut, Brant Bjork and Seah Wheeler. Their debut album Folklore From The Other Desert Cities may have been recorded live in the Gold Coast Of Australia but this remains a quintessential slice of California folklore, mysticism and Desert Rock ritualism from the masters of the scene.
The grooves and music is what you expect from Mario Lalli, Brant Bjork and Ryan Gut playing surreal Desert Rock, Psych Rock and Stoner Rock jams with a hint of Progressive and Sonic heaviness to them. You have Mathias Schneeberger performing keyboards on this record which gives the album its unique heavy Space Rock and Cosmic Rock dominated sound which comes into great effect with the outlandish and stunning opening track Creosote Breeze. Though, the main surprise and creative strength for this album is the undeniable and rebellious talents of Sean Wheeler who plays multiple roles of Lead Vocalist, Outlaw Poet and Ring Leader of this great band.
The music moves from one constant form of Desert/Stoner Rock passages to a heavier Blues Rock driven Heavy Rock score. Shades of members current and previous bands shine right through and provide a haunting sound for Mario Lalli & The Rubber Snake Charmers to build upon. The whole record can be downright experimental and perhaps one of the most FREAKISH sounds the guys have been involved with for quite some time. However, it’s Sean’s vocals and shamanic briefings of Californian and Desert Rock life that brings the most gloriously HIGH and OVER THE TOP MOMENTS on the whole album.
The record becomes more personal to the band members with Sean’s impressive non-stop display of Spoken Word Poetry with Nick Olivieri even getting a few mentions within the album. Heavier waves of Desert Rock, Fuzz Rock and stellar Psych Stoner Rock begin to dominate more on the excellent remaining tracks of Swamp Cooler Reality, Other Desert Cities and The Devil Waits For Me.
Some parts of the album does feel like an extended jamming session but when the music sounds this great and so brilliantly played with the extraordinary keyboards and synths once again from Mathias (who also mixed and mastered the album), then my advice is just go with the flow and enjoy the whole WEEDIAN inspired journey which becomes more hallucinogenic and addictive as time passes by.
The lyrics can be quite emotionally charged and deeply gut wrenching when Sean uses his own personal experiences for some of the heaviest and hard-hitting moments that appear within the lyrics on the later stages of the record.
Folklore From The Other Desert Cities is a classic sounding Desert/Stoner Rock album but with a highly original and contemporary twist that leaves me hoping to hear more chapters from this exciting musical outfit.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage for the promo.
Folklore From The Other Desert Cities will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy psych Sounds from March 29th 2024.
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
