Rockin’ grooves without words? Blasphemy! Well, that’s just what you’re gonna get with ELECTRIC MAGMA and their latest release “Snail the Wah”. This Toronto trio comprised of Tim Reesor (guitar), Tryg Smith (bass) and Tom Brouard (drums) is all about one thing and one thing only: jamming. Apparently these guys have been at this for quite a while now and their rate of production (3 albums in 3 years) demonstrates their workhorse mentality. Then again, nothing sounds rushed here. Though every riff on this album was created solely from jamming and the album has a free atmosphere, everything is tight and deliberate at the same time. Also, this is probably the single most accurate album title ever—if these guys aren’t sponsored by Cry Baby they should be, because you’re gonna hear a lot of wah pedal use here. If you’re a guitarist, your foot might start hurting while listening to this! Still another thing they have going for them is their ability to take the classic notion of the jam band and give it a modern stoner rock style and sound, thereby really making it their own. The end result sounds similar to, say, SPIRIT CARAVAN with a mute Wino, more emphasis on riffs and a boost in energy. The second DOWN album also comes to mind.

This being said, although ELECTRIC MAGMA should have no trouble finding fans amongst the Peacedogman crowd, the rest of the world will most likely find this disc way too much to handle. They’ll read the words “70 minutes without a single word sung” and have a conniption. This is either an album to put on as background groove or, if the listener is truly dedicated enough to sit through so much jamming, a totally immersive experience. Bottom line: this album is simply not for the casual music fan, so the audience is limited here. But we here at PDM aren’t casual music fans, are we? This is a prime example of music for the dedicated rock fan, and if that’s you then you owe it to yourself to explore what ELECTRIC MAGMA has to offer. And trust me, you’ll have plenty to explore.

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: www.electricmagma.com

MP3 SOUND SCRAP: Snail the Wah

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