Heavy Glow: Midnight Moan album review

HEAVY GLOW, "Midnight Moan"

Summary: Fantastic music marred by a snooze-inducing vocal performance and some poor production.

Rating: 2 Stars

Genre: Bluesy Stoner Rock / Grunge / Metal

**

Back in August of 2010, I reviewed the debut EP of HEAVY GLOW, a band that combines a lot of old-school classic rock, modern blues, and a bit of grunge to create a stoner rock sound with some nasty licks and incredible solos.  This guys have the funk, and they’ve got the power, and man, I was stoked about that album, praising how they were a group to watch out for.

Well, I boned it.  Watch out for their next release, not the debut full-length titled “Midnight Moan.”  It’s not a bad album, but it certainly doesn’t follow on the heels of their fiery “The Filth and the Fury” EP.

Overall, it’s a good album, and no more.  They’ve kept the same fluid style, able to knock some unbelievable riffing backed by a groovy rhythm section, and the singer’s got some serious range, to boot.  But someone needs to light a fire under that singer’s ass, because it’s largely his fault this album drags.  Before I continue with that thought, let me reiterate that the guy’s got range, and based on my review of their EP, he’s obviously a good singer.  Don’t forget that, because most of my argument is based on the disappointment of knowing that, but then getting what I got.

So, here’s the two-fold issue of the vocals.  The first, and worst offender, is that it sounds like Jared Mullins (vocals, guitar, organ) phoned in his performance on the mic.  He tends to stay in the same range or so (which is exemplary, as noted above), which leads to a bit of monotony.  Worse, though, are songs like “All My Money,” where he repeats the chorus over and over again.  At the same (un)emotional level.  Every.  Single.  Time.  I’m sorry, but vocals can start off monotonous if it works in the song, but they should build, especially when the music is building and building.  Solos screaming away, drums rolling and thumping along, the bass twanging and wump-wumping away…that’s when you start going from a sing-song voice to a harsher yell, to…whatever it takes to put more emotion in your voice.  It just doesn’t happen much at all on this disc.

The second part of the issue is the production, which — to be fair — may stem partly from me receiving a preview copy.  I hope that’s the case, but if it’s not, here’s the issue: the vocals are way to up-front in the mix.  The music is rockin’ along, and the vocals come in and absolutely drown it out.  Considering what I just said about the vocal delivery, this production/mixing snafu is all the more prominent.

I’d love to love “Midnight Moan,” considering what I had to say about HEAVY GLOW’s previous EP.  Frankly, the music is awesome in nearly every song (album opener “Lose My Mind” has a few transitions that don’t sit well with me, but the instrumentation is still stellar), and that makes me want to promote the living shit out of this album.  But it’s not to be, because the vocals just don’t hit the home run that they should, and that I know they could if they had the same fiery delivery as the EP.

It’s still a good album, but it’s far short of the excellent — nay, phenomenol — album it should be.

Hit that home run on the next album, guys, or I’m personally going to drive down to San Diego with some lighter fluid and a zippo.

***

Tracklisting:

1. Lose My Mind
2. Slave Dance
3. Today is Technicolor (One Step Closer)
4. All My Money
5. Collide
6. Purgatory Blues
7. Smithereen
8. Midwestern Lullaby
9. Diggin’ a Ditch

**

Links:

HEAVY GLOW on MySpace