Review: Fuzz Evil & Chiefs Split
Battleground Records recently released a 7” split between Fuzz Evil from Arizona and Chiefs from California. This split is basically a promotion and sneak peek into each of the bands’ upcoming longer albums that will also be released on Battleground Records. Fuzz Evil’s EP will be coming out sometime in early 2015, and Chiefs will be delivering on their full-length debut in the new year, as well!
I am already a big fan of the Chiefs, as I really dig their three previous EP’s: “Chiefs,” “Chiefs II,” and the “Buffalo Roam EP,” so I was pretty excited to hear anything new come from them. Chiefs consist of guitarist/vocals Paul Valle, bassist/vocals Jeff Podeszwik, and Kevin Michel on the drums!
Fuzz Evil on the other hand, I had not heard of previously, as this is their debut release. I did learn, however, that they are a trio that includes brothers Wayne and Joey Rudell on guitar/vocals and bass, respectively, rounded out by drummer Marlin Tuttle. Some will recognize the Rudells from their other awesome heavy stoner-blues band, Powered Wig Machine (PWM). Later in the spring or summer, they hope to release a 12” split, between a new PWM album and this upcoming Fuzz Evil EP.
The first song on the Fuzz Evil/Chiefs split is “Glitterbones” is by Fuzz Evil, which starts out with a great fuzzed-out bass line. It then instantly gets your head bobbing as the guitars and drums kick into a heavy psyched-out groove that remains for most of the five-and-a-half minute song. The vocals are clear, great, and catchy, with the chorus hits higher notes that remind me of QOTSA. I’m also usually down with any song lyrics about spirit quests to distant lands, taking trips down rabbit holes, and meeting medicine men and gypsy’s from desert lands! It’s a little less bluesy than PWM and maybe more psychedelic, with a different vocal delivery, but still with the same killer stoner desert groove! The bass is grooving, the drums are rockin’, and the riffs are solid, surrounded (as their name suggest) by some beautiful fuzz. Ask me if I want more Fuzz Evil, and I’ll reply: yes, please!
Then comes Chief’s song “Stone Bull” which right off the bat reminds me of why I enjoy this band so much: tone. They always seem to have the perfect fuzz tone that just makes my ears dance in the colorful landscape of sound! This song also somehow reminds me of a slowed down stoner mixture of 90’s bands Hum and Helmet, which is always a good thing. The riff is big and slow to start and steadily builds to a great chugging pace through the chorus and onto the end of the song. Steady, hypnotic vocals buried beautifully in the fuzz help make this into one of my favorite laid back, sink-into-the-couch-and-trip songs of the year!
With incredible artwork by David Paul Seymour, I definitely recommend this split and I am extremely pumped for the future upcoming releases from both of these bands!