Dangerdog Music Reviews

01.30.12

Needlemouse: Needlemouse
Nebuleyes: From Earth to Nebula
Lane, Lana: El Dorado Hotel
Pilgrim: Misery Wizard
Voices of Destiny: Power Dive
On Top: Top Heavy
Red Hot Rebellion: Red Hot Rebellion
Last Autumn's Dream: Nine Lives
Stuka Squadron: Tales of the Ost
Zeroking: Kings of Self Destruction

01.23.12

Any Known Sin: Lust (EP)
Oz: Burning Leather
Riotgod: Invisible Empire
Wolfen: Chapter IV
Krossfire: Learning to Fly
Moor, The: The Moor (EP)
11th Hour, The: Lacrima Mortis
Iron Fire: Voyage of the Damned
Mass: New Birth

01.16.12

Ancara: Chasing Shadows
The Exkursions: The Exkursions
Mollo-Martin: The Third Cage
Broken Silence: Discerning the Times
Beyond the Bridge: The Old Man and the Spirit
Sixty Miles Ahead: Blank Slate EP
The Bleed: Take Back A Life
Case In Theory: Cinematic

[ More Music Reviews ]

Hard Rock/Stoner Rock

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Self-Released
www.myspace.com/oaksmusic

San Diego's Oaks is a simple three piece band that produces some very heavy stoner rock. The elements of this style of music are well known and self-explanatory for insiders. But I'm not one of them; this is not my favorite rock or metal genre. What Oaks seems to have on 'Bravo!' is some interesting ways to express their style. Generally, there's in undercurrent of melody supporting all those heavy riffs. This is preferable and found, for example, on 'Reeling' and 'River.' Additionally, there's a sense of psychedelia here and there, but most prevelant on 'Big Sta.' I liked that. Another interesting characteristic was their often hyperkinetic oubursts within their songs. Most times this was done as an ensemble, but on 'Spine' guitarist Gerard Lawther delivers a frenzy of his own. All this makes me wonder: if this music is by and for the stoned, how is possible for them to play this fast? I guess this is another one of life's great mysteries. Oaks' 'Bravo!' is definitely for the insiders of this genre.

Oaks 'Bravo!' is better than average stoner rock thanks to a little more ingenuity in their compositions.

Alphabetical Index

a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h	i	j
k	l	m	n	o	p	q	r	s	t
u	v	w	x	y	z	#

My big awakening happened when I was fourteen ... and listened to Aerosmith's Rocks. It hit me like a fucking ton of bricks. I sat there listening to it over and over ... I remember ... knowing that my life had changed. Now I identified with something.