All good things come
to those who wait and
Guildford quintet
Stick Shift are not the kind of guys to rush things. Lead
guitarist and principle songwriter Matney started the band
about three years ago, taking his time to ensure that
dynamically he found the right people to join the project.
With drummer Lewis and bassist Tom already on board, it was
a further year until former Poly Orchid frontman Luke lent
his furious roaring and gentle Maynard James Keenan-style
crooning to the mix. The final piece in the jigsaw, Dunx,
joined only six months ago and provides Stick Shift with
that something different; warped, dark and brooding synth.
This three-track
demo (kindly provided after catching a live show) is a
welcome blast of some old-school stoner rock brought bang
up-to-date for the naughties, and will moisten the eyes (and
possibly the trousers) of Kyuss, Unida, Goatsnake or
Electric Wizard fans everywhere.
Opener “27 Angels”,
with its fuzzy guitars, pounding drums and bass feels like
it’s arrived on a frenzy of warm thermals straight from the
deserts of Nevada, rather than the leafy suburbs of Surrey,
whilst the anthemic “Plastic” sees frontman Luke employ that
distinctive Keenan vocal style over scuzzy, almost
RATM-esque shredding.
Six-minute closer
“Deal Me In” is the scorched highlight of the three tracks
on this demo. What were once trademark Kyuss riffs are
shaken by their ankles and given new foreboding menace,
vocals that could strip skin from a hundred yards are fierce
but used sparingly, and before you know it, the track draws
to a close and you are reaching for the repeat button.
Whilst the tracks
on offer here are undoubtedly of high quality and boast
excellent production, Stick Shift are an even better
prospect live with Matney’s fretwork and the intense Luke
particularly catching the eye. If you are in the South East
you could do a lot worse than getting yourself along to The
Fighting Cocks in
Kingston on 28th
May to catch these boys live.
It’s taken a while
to put it all together, but as with all good things, it was
worth the wait.
Contact:
www.myspace.com/stickshiftuk
Stuart Bowen
