MIDNITE SNAKE
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
The back of this self-titled CD from Midnite Snake features a picture of cheesy ghost, the kind you'd expect to see in an old William Castle horror film. Surprisingly, the image fits the CD to near perfection.
First, "Midnite Snake" could be the soundtrack for one of those wonderful, black-and-white, ultra low-budget slasher films, especially those made in the late 60s. And, like those classic films, Midnite Snake doesn't break any new ground or try to impress you with sterile technical brilliance. Instead, the band simply delivers their smoldering brand of stoner flavored rock'n'roll, complete with endless, fuzzy guitar solos, throbbing bass-lines and deliberately muddy production. Not to mention a shitload of atmosphere.
"Midnite Snake" is an instrumental album and the instrument that most matters here is the guitar of Alexei Plotnicov. With no one behind the microphone, it's up to the guitars to tell each song's story, and Plotnicov does so with style, talent and - most importantly here - soul. This could have just been a jam album but the band's unity in focusing on the guitar as well as Plotnicov's ability to make his guitar sing make it more than that.
Still, if you're not a fan of stoner rock - especially the more severe forms of it - you probably won't find anything to your liking here.
Midnite Snake: Alexei Plotnicov - electric guitar; Jim Lingo - electric bass; Paul Quattrone - drums; Fog Hog - electric fog.
For more information, check out http://birdmanrecords.com/midnitesnake.html.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2002 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 18 Mar 2024 11:16:00 -0500.
