Nebula Drag - Western Death (Album Review)

Release Date: December 08th 2023. Record Label: Desert Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Western Death- Tracklisting

1.Crosses 04:49

2.Sleazy Tapestry 03:45

3.Failure 08:46

4.Kneecap 03:48

5.Side By Side 03:37

6.Tell No One 04:59

7.Western Death 04:18

Members

Corey Quintana - Guitar/Vocals

Stephen Varns - Drums

Garrett Gallagher - Bass

Review

Western Death is the new album Psych Fuzz/Space/Stoner Rockers Nebula Drag who return with a sound that’s fresh, buoyant and vital for today’s modern scene. With a throwback style of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal allowing Nebula Drag to bring a heavier Fuzzed Up sound of Psychedelic Spaced Out Stoner Grooves with flashes of Speed Metal momentum which is used early on within the thrilling opening track Crosses.

Crosses feels like a mixture of Motorhead aggressive speedy hooks and the classic doomed out heaviness of Black Sabbath with the 1980’s Hard Rock swagger which lends itself to a mighty fine display of catchy guitar solos which builds into heavier areas of Psychedelic/Fuzz Rock strands of Doom/Stoner Metal. Nebula Drag play a pitch perfect style of Old-School sounds with that aggressive modern day attitude which allows the album to be adventurous within the heaviest parts of the track.

Second song Sleazy Tapestry combines the opening track creative themes with a more Punk Rock attitude with a thunderous Space Rock attitude with Corey’s vocals being more restrained in places with a playful Blues Rock attitude. The song does have eerie tones of early-era Monster Magnet but with that Sleaze Rock attitude allowing Nebula Drag to play their own intense blend of Punk fuelled Spaced Out Stoner Rock with a throwback MC5 attitude within the stop-start moments of the later stages of the song.

Third song Failure sees Nebula Drag drift into Progressive territory and more reliance on Psychedelic grooves and Sonic trickery with moments of classic Spaced Out elements which comes mostly within the exquisite rhythm section handled by Stephen and Garrett on Drums and Bass respectively. Corey’s vocals have a more shamanic performance to them which works superbly well for this track alone. The guitar solos fly at you from every angle with distorted effects, trippy pedals and ambient sounds makes this the standout track of the album. 

Nebula Drag play a more sinister style of Psychedelic Stoner Metal for the second half of the album which allows their music to become more groovier, seedier and more outrageous whilst retaining a classical hard rock and WEEDIAN edge on tracks such as Kneecap, Tell No One and Western Death. 

These songs capture Nebula Drag playing a more dramatic style of music with rich storytelling that instantly draws you with its kaleidoscopic freakout Psychedelic and Spaced Out Sounds where the mood can be slightly distorted and very DOOMED OUT. However, the RIFFS are plentiful with Nebula Drag playing these with purpose and paying homage to the legendary Doom/Stoner Metal bands past and present whilst forging their own formidable reputation.

Western Death is the type of album that can offer Nebula Drag exciting opportunities to play on the bigger and better stages within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene. This album is the real deal and another late release that deserves to be included on the inevitable and incoming ALBUM OF THE YEAR articles. It’s already gained a place on mine.

Words by Steve Howe 

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.

Western Death is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Desert Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Exclusive Song Premiere of Doom/Stoner Rockers NEBULA DRAG New Song KNEECAP From Upcoming New Album WESTERN DEATH

WESTERN DEATH is the third album release from San Diego-based psychedelic hard rock band, Nebula Drag.

You’re invited to lose yourself in a 7-song explosion of sound and vision. Whether it’s the first track—“Crosses”—or the weight of the 7th track—“Western Death,” Nebula Drag’s unity and hard work have made this album very special.

The massive drums, blazing guitar, and fuzzy bass deliver a powerful interpretation of where this band is going with their signature sound and approach to all that is Psychedelic-Hard Rock.

Sharing the stage with bands such as YOB, Church of Misery, The Skull, Mars Red Sky, Sasquatch, SubRosa, Monolord, and many others has inspired Nebula Drag in a way that they hope is moving the band into new musical territory.

The best part is that in regards to the vinyl record, you can choose either the “Western” side or the “Death” side for your listening pleasure.

You can hear the stunning new song Kneecap from the forthcoming album Western Death. 

 

"Kneecap is one of our favorite songs to play and we’re looking forward to sharing it with everyone. The song was the last song we wrote for this album and is really just a mid tempo crusher.

Inspired by shitty friends and powered by weed, this tune is best played at maximum volume." - Corey Quintana / Nebula Drag

Credits

Releases December 8, 2023 on Desert Records
Recorded at Rarefied Recording Studios, San Diego Ca.
Engineered by Ethan Transmissions
Mixing by Nebula Drag, Ethan Transmissions
Mastering and Editing by Christopher Haynes/Demeter Studios (Ca,).
Album cover Artwork by Jordan Lentz
Additional album artwork, layout, design and development by Stephen Varns
All songs written and performed by Nebula Drag
Words and lyrics Corey Quintana

Pre-orders for limited edition LP’s and CD’s are available on Bandcamp now! https://nebuladrag.bandcamp.com/album/western-death

         

Links:

Bandcamp: https://nebuladrag.bandcamp.com/album/western-death

FB: https://www.facebook.com/NebulaDragz

IG: https://www.instagram.com/nebuladrag/

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/0mGyreYTkvctKqlQwLLwd2?si=N462xnmSRACNlkuQqH2wcw

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for all of the details.

Nebula Drag - Blud (Album Review)

Release date: September 27th 2019. Label: Desert Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Blud – Tracklisting

1.Dos Lados

2.Knives

3.Always Dying 05:06

4.Dogs or Gods

5.We All Want to Know 04:14

6.Faces

7.What Went Wrong

8.Numb

9.Infinite Vacation

10.Mental

Members

Corey Quintana -Guitar/Vocals

Stephen Varns -Drums

Garrett Gallagher-Bass

Review

Nebula Drag second album Blud shows you how far the band have progressed since their debut album. As the band have returned with a heavier and more psychedelic sound. Partially inspired by KYUSS but Nebula Drag offer their own twisted take on the classic Stoner Rock/Metal sound.

Opening song - Dos Lados – dives right into playing a heavy progressive groove with Nebula Drag adding spaced out vibes for a world weary sound. The song firmly comes in to focus when lead vocalist Corey’s vocals appear and everything moves up a gear. The instrumental work is quite intense in places with the band showing their love for nineties Grunge and Stoner Metal. The lyrics are good but it’s the heavy atmospheric riffs that make this song work and allow Nebula Drag to explore this sound further on the rest of the album. 

Second song – Knives – has a Fuzzier style of music with the pounding Desert/Stoner Metal vibes once again transporting the listener back to the hey-day of Stoner Rock/Metal and you can hear elements of Kyuss and Monster Magnet fused into Nebula Drag’s DNA. The lyrics are quite hard-hitting in places and shows you that the band mean business on this album. Corey’s vocals impress yet again with the music having a more distorted sound compared to other songs on the album.

Third song – Always Dying – is a more personal song with the band putting their hearts and souls into this song. It’s a more “Blues” based offering that shows you a different side to Nebula Drag. Add a slightly bleak “Americana” atmosphere and this song ranks as one of the best songs on the album. The song is played at a deliberate slow pace but still offers a heavy experience when the faster riffs appear on the second half of the song. 

Fourth song - Dogs Or Gods – is a trippy and surreal take on all things Stoner Rock/Metal with different noises and ambient sounds that are set against a backdrop of finely played Stoner Rock/Metal grooves. The lyrics aren’t the best but the riffs make everything worthwhile and you’re rewarded with another engaging vocal performance from Corey. The song does see Nebula Drag add a gloomier atmosphere to their overall sound and it’s quite exciting to listen to.

The second half of the album carries on the good work that Nebula Drag showed in the first half with the band creating heavier and more spaced out progressive sounds with songs - We All Want To Know, Numb and Infinite Vacation being the main standouts. The whole feel and flow of the album has a vintage and timeless quality to it and that’s mainly down to the fantastic production contained within this album.

Overall, Blud offers a captivating and exciting journey into the wild realm of Psychedelic Stoner Metal that will see Nebula Drag forge an exciting future for themselves within the Stoner Metal community.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Desert Records for the promo. Blud will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from September 27th 2019 via Desert Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Album News - NEBULA DRAG Announce New Album BLUD on Desert Records

Nebula Drag is a psycho-delic three piece rock band from San Diego, CA. Definitely not your typical Southern California band… 

Nebula Drag’s music gives a nod to Stoner Metal and Psych Rock—all with a sound that is uniquely their own. The haunting and blistering riffs paired with the thunderous drumming comprises the heart of this band. Add the melodic and spaced out vocals to the mix and let a listening journey of the highest caliber begin. 

Nebula Drag will be releasing their second album “Blud” on Desert Records in September 2019. 

Their first self-titled album was released in 2016, and they also released a 3 song ep “Always Dying” in 2017. 

The band also contributed to the San Diego Gimme Danger compilation in 2018 ,released by Fresh Pots Music.

Nebula Drag will hit the road for a short tour to promote the album on the weekend of "Blud's" release:

9/26 T.B.A. - Las Vegas, NV
9/27 Time Out Lounge - Tempe, AZ
9/28 Sister Bar (Album Release Show) - Albuquerque, NM

FIRST TIME EVER NEBULA DRAG ON VINYL 

LP Limited to only 100 copies on high quality black vinyl, these are sure to sell quickly. 

Get your copy now: https://nebuladrag.bandcamp.com/album/blud-2

The first single off "Blud" is the song Always Dying, available for streaming now.

The album will feature 10 tracks from the San Diego "psycho-delic" space rockers. 

The album will see if official release date on September 27th, 2019 via Desert Records

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Interview with NEBULA DRAG

Here's an interview that I did with San Diego Spaced Out Stoners – NEBULA DRAG. The band have recently released their superb debut self-titled album and it plays out like a warped psychedelic and nightmarish journey at times.

It's a heavy and often dirty sound that you all need to check out. You can read my review of their debut album here. I wanted to find out more about Nebula Drag and they agreed to do this interview....

Hi guys. How are things with you today. Thanks for doing this interview.

We're good! Thanks for asking

So why did you choose the name Nebula Drag for your band.

(Corey) We obviously wanted a name that was "Spacey”. All I remember is doing a search on Space, then finding the word "Nebula", then finding the word "Drag", as to inhale. I yelled out the name to the guys and they said yes. We had other names in mind, but we couldn't agree on any of them.

How did the band get together. Did you all know each other before forming the band.

(Corey) I started the band almost 2 years ago with a different drummer and bass player. We did a few shows but then the drummer kicked out the bass player, and then I parted ways with the drummer. I had almost a full albums worth of material and I had a few friends playing Drums, but they were busy with their own bands. I had to post an ad to find a drummer. That’s when I met Stephen Varns, which was great. We clicked immediately. He had experience playing with Chiefs, and a lot of our musical taste is similar. I had met Mike previously, he had a bass and wanted the gig, so we were ready to start practicing.

How would you describe your music.

Dramatic.

(Stephen) "Psycho-Delic Fuzz Laden Space Rock."

You've just released your new S/T album. What can people expect from this album.

The Unexpected.

Was it a hard album to write and record for. As it has a wide range of different sounds and ideas running throughout the album.

(Corey) Some of it was tough to write and learn, but we still wanted it to be kind of groovy and not all techy. It also had to be heavy, but not necessarily in a contemporary way, or like what a lot of other bands are all trying to sound like these days. We recorded the albumin 3 days. We tracked the drums, bass and guitar tracks all together, keeping the best take. Then I added another guitar track and noise track in some songs. For vocals, I just double everything. We recorded to 2-inch tape at Audio Design here in San Diego. Jordan Andreen was the engineer. He's got major talent and has worked with Earthless, Joy and other guitar heavy bands. He has a good idea of what we like so that helps. By the way, we actually bartered for our studio time. I'm a carpenter, so we traded services, we didn't spend any money on the actual recording. I had another friend master it for us. He did it for free.

Nebula Drag - CHANGE

Your releasing this album yourselves. Will there be any physical copies being released soon. If so can you give any further details.

(Stephen) We are working on a small quantity of CDs right now; they should be available by the middle of June. The sales from our Bandcamp site and the CDs will go directly towards funding Vinyl copies of our self-titled album. Unless of course we get the album picked up by a label who wants to help get our message out there.

How hard is it being a band in today's world. What are the most difficult aspects in being in a band.

(Corey) I guess it depends on how far you want your band to go. I have a 5 year old daughter and am self-employed. Stephen has a full a time job, girlfriend, hellish commute, etc. Mike works full time too. But we love making music together. Most artist these days pretty well much give away their hard work, because it's next to impossible to make a living from it, but they have to express themselves and be heard (or seen). That's us. We enjoy what we're doing. I also think we're aware of how fragile it is too. These days I think it takes a pretty serious commitment to make time to be in a band. Even if you’re only playing out once a month or so, and especially if you really want to be as good as you can. It takes a lot of work and money being in a working band.

What is the song-writing dynamic in the band. Is it a group collective or down to one individual.

(Corey) I do a lot of the writing. Stephen helps a lot with arrangement and keeps me from drifting off into space. Everybody contributes something though.

Do you get to tour regularly in your home-town of San Diego, CA. Is there a vibrant scene for you to do regular gigs or do you have to travel further afield.

(Corey) We play 2 or 3 times a month locally. San Diego has a pretty big scene. Soon We will be doing stuff in L.A., Orange County and other parts of So. Cal. We're also talking about the logistics of a small west coast tour. We're open to anything though and look forward to going as far as we possibly can.

When recording new music or playing in the studio, do you use an advanced set-up or a basic set-up. Can you talk us through which gear your currently use.

(Corey) We do have a 24 track digital recorder, mics, etc. But we usually keep track of ideas and songs with our phones or whatever. I prefer Gibson Guitars and currently use a Soldano amp through 2 Ear Candy Buzzbomb cabinets, plus my pedal Board

(Mike) I'm using a Couple Fender P basses through an Orange Head with the Ear Candy Bass Bomb 2x12 and a Bergentino 4x10 cab.

(Stephen) I have a simple set up with a mixture of different style Ludwig drums, 22’’ Bass Drum, 18’’ Floor, 16’’ Rack, 14’’ Supraphonic Snare, and some Zildjian cymbals.

Was there any specific album, group or artist that inspired you to become a musician.

(Corey) Not that I recall, I just always wanted to play guitar.

Is Nebula Drag your main band or are you involved with any other projects.

We put a lot of effort into this band so it would be pretty tough with our schedules to play in other bands.

What have been your favorite records you've listened to this year. Any particular records that standout for you in 2016.

(Corey) We like the group "Wand" a lot and think their album ‘Golem’ is killer. I was really into ‘Philm’ and was pretty bummed when I heard they broke up.

(Stephen) There’s been a couple awesome releases from our buddies in ‘Desert Suns’ and ‘Beira’ this past year or so, check them out. (desertsuns.bandcamp.com) (beiramusic.bandcamp.com)

Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans.

(Corey) just that we're extremely thankful for the support and that we hope to come play in your town.

Well guys, thanks for doing this. All the best with the new album.

Thank you for the support, we dig what you guys are doing at Outlaws of the Sun!

Words by Steve Howe and Nebula Drag

Thanks to Nebula Drag for taking the time out to talking to us. Check out their excellent debut album below.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Nebula Drag - S/T (Album Review)

Release date: May 17th 2016. Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Nebula Drag – S/T – Tracklisting

1.Smiles 03:36

2.Creeps & Monsters 03:34

3.Sano 03:29

4.Change 04:15

5.I Can Not Explain 03:51

6.Lost Time 02:58

7.Brght Sunshine 03:24

8.So Low 05:07

9.Up & Down 03:18

10.Perfect Pair 03:26

Band Members:

Corey Quintana -Guitar/Vocals

Stephen Varns-Drums

Fuzzy Mike-Bass

Review:

Nebula Drag hail from San Diego and create a blend of heavy sludge/fuzz based rock/metal. It's very dirty at times with a sneering punk based attitude. Their debut album is packed full of different psychedelic noises and dirty lo-fi riffs.

Nebula Drag take influences from a wide range of different bands across the musical spectrum. Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Punk, Noise Rock and I'm sure I can detect a hint of Detroit 60s/70s Rock on second track – Creeps & Monsters. The band try their hand at different sounds on almost every song as each track sounds very different to each other.

Corey's vocals are firmly rooted in Punk Rock territory but with the band creating heavy sludge/stoner riffs this can be quite a dark album at times. Nebula Drag are primarily a Rock and Roll band it's just that their blend of Rock and Roll features heavy distorted moments of psychedelic sludge/stoner riffs. The songwriting on the album is first rate and the instrumental work is even better.. The tone of the entire album is very raw it actually works in the bands favour as this is how music is meant to be played and heard.

Great songs to check out are: Change, I Can Not Explain, So Low and Perfect Pair. Tracks that show what the band are really about. It's when Nebula Drag show their love for all things psychedelic you're treated to some spellbinding riffs.

All in all, Nebula Drag have released a superb debut album that I hope will find them a bigger audience within the Sludge/Stoner Rock community. As Nebula Drag have something special about them. Hopefully these guys will get signed by a cool record label and release this on vinyl. Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp