Posted in Whathaveyou on May 5th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Last heard from with 2021’s Black Harvest (review here), Spanish classic-style heavy rockers Green Desert Water are back next month with their third LP, Eerie Meadows, from which they’re streaming “The Blacksmith” now. The release will be through Small Stone and Kozmik Artifactz, giving international reach and cred alike to the warm-toned roll of “The Blacksmith” and the album as a whole, which at no point wants for appeal. Watch out for the hook when it gets you, because it does.
This is a bio I wrote, I think. At least I edited what they had, which is a thing Small Stone asks me to do every now and again. Let’s say I worked on from ‘The record features…” to “…to be celebrated” and call it there either way. I gotta look, hang on… yeah, some of that is what I sent over. It’s jumbled around a bit. Maybe not a full-on bio I wrote, but I did work on it at least.
It and all the rest came through the PR wire:
GREEN DESERT WATER: Spain-Based Power Trio To Release Eerie Meadows On June 19th Via Small Stone Recordings; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available
Asturias, Spain-based power trio GREEN DESERT WATER is back with a new album, Eerie Meadows, set for release on June 19th via small Stone Recordings.
The record features eight immersive and engaging tracks, merging heavy psychedelia and melodies born across decades from the 1970s on, speaking seamlessly in a way that is their own while still providing as much grunge shove as it does boogie vibes.
Their third album with Small Stone, Eerie Meadows follows the fan-favorite Black Harvest (2021), which established the current lineup of Kike Sanchís (guitar, vocals), Juan Arias (bass), and Dani Bárcena (drums) as one of the most enjoyable live acts in the heavy rock scene.
“With Eerie Meadows, we wanted to explore the duality between the heavy and the ethereal the mist, the ancient woods, and that feeling of finding home in the wild,” says the band. “Recording in a new studio was a challenge we set for ourselves to push our sound further; it’s a record about the cycles of life, the scars we carry, and the fire that burns even under the northern lights.”
While GREEN DESERT WATER keeps one foot decisively embedded in the classics – Mountain, Sabbath, Sasquatch – they execute the tight 37-minute LP with earned confidence and purpose, finding variety in mood amid a universal quality of craft. From the opening journey of “Northern Lights” to the closer “Meteora,” the band explores themes of loss, primal power, and spiritual survival. For the converted or those willing to be, it is a thing to be celebrated.
Eerie Meadows was recorded and mixed by Sergio Tutu at Tutu Estudios, Corvera (Asturias, Spain), co-produced by Diego Martinez and Sergio Tutu, mastered by Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and features cover art and design by Ossobuko Studio, additional layout by Alexander von Weiding, and backing vocals by Alvaro Barcena.
GREEN DESERT WATER’s Eerie Meadows will be released on CD, and digital formats as well as limited edition LP in conjunction with Germany’s Kozmik Artifactz. Find all preorders at the Small Stone Bandcamp page HERE:https://smallstone.bandcamp.com/album/eerie-meadows
Posted in Reviews on February 2nd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Afternoon – Before Show
“Freelance Fiend” stuck in my head. I’ll talk about why tomorrow. You could do so much worse, though. Eternally.
Tonight is the apex of Planet Desert Rock Weekend V. Six bands, front-to-back with Green Desert Water opening, Omega Sun, Solace, The Watchers, Sergeant Thunderhoof and Mos Generator. A thing to look forward to, and I have been since the day-splits were announced. As has been the case over the last two nights, there will be ties between one set and the next, I expect, and I’m curious how it will all play out, though however it goes, holy mackerel, it’s gonna rock.
It’s also a venue switch, moving from Count’s Vamp’d, where nights one (review here) and two (review here) went down, to The Usual Place, which I know John Gist — of Vegas Rock Revolution; this is his fest — has done a bunch of stuff at, including as part of past PDRWs. I came here trusting it was going to be a good experience, expecting to have a good time, and it has exceeded that. I am fortunate to be here. Happy to be here. If I’ve mentioned that before, it’s worth repeating. Tattoo it in block letters on my forearm.
The room itself is bigger than Vamp’d — I’m not sure I can call it that having only been there twice, but I’m gonna throw it out there and see if I get in trouble — and it’s another cool spot; would expect no less. Gorgeous desert sky on the way in, with impossible blues and oranges and such like something off a non-denomonational-but-definitely-‘inspirational’ wall calendar. At the same time, it was probably as close as I’ve come to what people think of when you say you’re in Las Vegas, still at reasonable remove from the Strip itself, but a fun juxtaposition either way. Yes, I was good and stoned.
It was a relatively early start for club shows and still unlike the bulk of fests worldwide for its manageability, 6:30 or so, and there was some technical issue requiring a new bass head, but two minutes and a fog machine blast later, here’s how it went:
Green Desert Water
Downright electric was the heavy boogie blues and fuzz roller energy wrought by Spain’s Green Desert Water to open the night. It seemed early to bring the house down, but the three-piece called everyone up to the stage to party for Saturday, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the running theme for the evening hadn’t just revealed itself. I don’t know about you, but I dug the gosh darn heck out of the band’s 2021 LP, Black Harvest (review here), and they opened with the title-track, meeting old-soul vibes with not-old-yet energy, guitarist/vocalist Kiké Sanchis a frontman of classic leading-a-trio presence, impeccably suited to the songs, which are class in the leads and shuffle in the bass of Juan Arias García and drummer Dani Barcena, the latter of whom also backed Sanchis on vocals. They mellowed out mid-set and the bass held it with warmth while the guitar went stepping and every molecule coming out of that fog machine felt earned. They were here in 2019, so maybe it’s no surprised they were so comfortable on the stage now, but at a certain point, chemistry is chemistry. Green Desert Water were duly fluid, but what made them perfect to start was the fact that they were electric on stage. Engaging the crowd, thanking Scott from Small Stone Records (who’s here and I haven’t seen him in like 12 years and I got to hug him and it was wonderful), locking in a succession of monster blues nods and changing it up when it served the song, modern in spirit but coming from a classic place in influences. Plus soulful shred and thick low end. Sounds killer, right? They absolutely were. “The Whirl” was a highlight, but speaking as someone who’s had “Freelance Fiend” in his head all day, the strut in “Shelter” was no less suited to cap their set than they were to start the night.
Solace
I did not write one word during Solace. Not one. First time in three days I wasn’t writing during the set. That’s who Solace are to me. Tell your friends you love them. They’ve been on the road since last week. Their tour was over as of the end of the set, and though apparently two-fifths of the band were sick, they brought it as only Solace could, their stoner metal, hardcore intensity and ’90s tonal crunch still so much its own blend. A band able to be joyous while punching you in the face, and not in like some schlock Joker kind of way, I mean the music is a joy even at its hardest hitting — often especially at its hardest hitting — and while I’m not going to pretend I’m impartial about Solace. I have memories with those songs going back over 20 years, even aside from the Jersey connection, doing shows together, and so on. Just as a fan. Whether a club show or a fest, Solace was always the band who played last and blew it out. To have them play second — I thought Omega Sun were on after Green Desert Water; have not yet found out what happened there or if I was just wrong; you can imagine which is more likely — was different in my mind, but as with Green Desert Water, Solace did in fact blow out, they just started doing so before 8PM. Fair fucking enough. Accuse me of playing favorites if you want; you’re absolutely right and that’s the point. As long as Solace are a band forever we’re fine.
The Watchers
Definitely we’re working with the blowout as the narrative. The Watchers, whom I’ve never seen, carried forward a bit of Solace’s ’90s crunch in their dudely heavy grooves, and put it to a classic heavy swing with a thick charge. They went back to the band’s beginnings with “Today,” and gave a showing to the more metallic side of last year’s Nyctophilia (review here). John Gist, again, the guy throwing the party, likes a frontman. Doesn’t necessarily have to be a standalone singer like Goins from Solace or Tim Narducci from The Watchers, but someone with presence and a voice. At least that’s what comes through in the curation to me. I’ve always kind of been on the fence with the band, if we’re being honest, but there was no question going into the set they’d bring it, and they’re songwriters, so you know the songs by the end whether you know the record or not. I bet it was warm up there in a leather jacket, but The Watchers not only held their own after Solace, they brought the momentum of the webbing evening forward with force. They made it a party and closed out with “Sabbath Highway,” because duh. And I’m still hoping Omega Sun will show up sooner or later.
Sergeant Thunderhoof
Come over from the UK hot on the heels of last year’s The Ghost of Badon Hill (review here), Sergeant Thunderhoof brought Desertfest vibes to Planet Desert Rock Weekend V, and in the melody and presence, they were both a logical follow-up to The Watchers and in the role of adding texture to the night in a way that, granted, is less psych-based and more solidified as heavy rock/prog, felt like kin in purpose to JIRM last night or MR.BISON the night before. Sergeant Thunderhoof’s name isn’t all-caps, but their sound has a breadth and range, and the vibe is that much richer for what they’re bringing to it. They did “Blood Moon” and “Salvation for the Soul” (catchy catchy catchy and they nailed it; harmonies on point) from the new album, but they’ve got a catalog to draw from at this point and they’ve never been here before, so it makes sense they’d want to represent more than just the latest LP, which they did anyway. Some metal-feeling roots came through for sure, but they weren’t lacking for swing despite the push and sprawl and purpose behind each of their turns. The singer wrapping himself in a US flag near the end left me cold, but such are the times we live in. I have to wonder if they won’t be back in the US before too long.
Mos Generator
I was talking to someone earlier this evening about oldschool bands, second-gen stoner if we’re on the fourth now, maybe, not getting their due. Hi, Mos Generator. Draw that line right to Fireball Ministry headlining as well. My first time seeing the Mk. I lineup of the Port Orchard, Washington-based stalwart heavy rockers, with Shawn Johnson drumming and Scooter Haslip on bass, Tony Reed of course holding down guitar and vocals. Special band, and no, they’ve never really gotten their due. Their latest work, with the new lineup — Jono Garrett on drums, Sean Booth on bass — leans more into prog and is more introspective in spirit, but onstage they dove in hard. Reed: “I feel like boogieing, you feel like boogieing?” And then they go ripshit on “Breaker” from Electric Mountain Majesty (review here) — “Don’t waste your time trying to save my life/ I’m dying now the way I want to” — and even as dark as that sentiment is, that song just moves and moves. They followed it with the roll of “Step Up” and jammed out the solo a bit, which ruled, and then before I knew it they were wrapping up saying they needed to immediately drive 24 hours straight to get I’m not quite sure where and split. Get in, kick ass, get out. They could give a shit for getting their due. Places to go.
Omega Sun
Found them! Turns out the Slovenian trio were closing out in a post-headliner position. They appeared lower on the poster, hence my confusion. In any case, they held a fair amount of people in the room and the songs left no question why. This is their second time here, but my first, and they brought big-groove riffs in classic desert rock fashion. Nothing too fancy — bassist/vocalist Igor Kukanja, guitarist Aris Demirović, drummer Sebastian Vrbnjak — but they’ve got riffs, melody, hooks and volume and they know what they’re doing with them. Their second full-length, Roadkill (review here), came out in 2023, and though it was late by the time they were done, the showing they gave was righteous. If you’re in this for more than five minutes, you know that desert rock outgrew Californian geographic exclusivity decades ago, so a Slovenian desert band isn’t super-crazy, but you sure don’t get to see one kill it as Omega Sun did every day, even if you’re entrenched in the country’s native underground. They shouted they last song out to John, as will happen, and hit into a drive that was both of-genre and their own chemistry, stamp and tone. One last big-riff finish, and it was over, a final emphasis for the day on the idea of community; people from different places coming together to share common interest and experience. In that, they were no less suited to cap than Green Desert Water had been to open, and the flow of the night in sound, style, idea and logistics was ideal, right unto the thanks and goodnight. They bought a $100 Epiphone guitar to play their tour and gave it away when they were done.
—
This was a really, really good day.
I still kind of have “Freelance Fiend” in my head, but I’m too tired to strut. More pics after the jump, and more words tomorrow as Planet Desert Rock Weekend V moves back to Count’s Vamp’d to close out.
Oviedo, Spain, heavy rockers Green Desert Water released their third album, Black Harvest, last month on Small Stone Records and Kozmik Artifactz, celebrating fuzzy songcraft and a vision of groove that manages to sound like “nothin’ too fancy” while bridging decades of influence as only quality heavy can. In their ’70s-meets’90s riff-driven heavy blues vibe, they are the quintessential Small Stone act; it is an international stock and trade the label has engaged since Halfway to Gone and Dixie Witch roamed the land — not to mention Kozmik Artifactz with more than a decade under its belt in Europe — and certainly Green Desert Water‘s 2018 offering, The Deepest Sea (review here), fit that bill as well. If anything, the steady AC/DC roll of “The Whale” and the catchier hook of “Too Many Wizards” (video premiering below) and the too-clearheaded-in-structure-to-be-psychedelic-but-still-kind-of-trippy pairing of “Sacred Tree” and “Dead Sacred Tree” at the record’s outset only show the trip of guitarist/vocalist Kike Sanchís, bassist Juan Arias García and drummer Dani Barcena as having refined their approach and songwriting.
That’s true of Black Harvest‘s shorter and longer songs alike. In total, the album runs seven tracks and 38 minutes — a tidy LP length — but it divides that almost on a per-track basis between longer and shorter pieces, gradually evening out as side B closes. “Sacred Tree” and “Dead Sacred Tree” — which run directly one into the other — are both about four minutes long, but if one takes them as a single entity as they’d essentially be on vinyl, then the shift to “Too Many Wizards” becomes even more striking, even though “Dead Sacred Tree” works just fine on its own anyhow, bringing its weighted riff to a post-Sabbath shuffle with organic ’70s shove. “Too Many Wizards” is the shortest inclusion at 3:36, but has fuzz and swagger both in supply to last much longer, and gives itself over to the more methodical title-track, which tops seven minutes and caps side A with due ebbs and flows, a guest-spot on guitar from Wo Fat‘s Kent Stump doing nothing to hurt their deceptively patient cause.
“The Whale,” “Shelter of Guru” and “Soul Blind” — five, eight and six minutes long, respectively — continue the pattern somewhat, but by the time the first of them picks up from the drop at the end of “Black Harvest,” Green Desert Water are long since locked into the full-album flow that carries them through the remainder of the outing. Without making a show of largesse, “The Whale” brings a plodding first half into a shuffling second marked by highlight basswork from García beneath Sanchís‘ guitar and a quick flash of cowbell from Barcena snuck in there as well. The drums begin “Shelter of Guru” as well, but it’s the riff that ultimately leads the procession into its nod and extended solo section, finding gallop late but making the speed count for something in selling the energy built up over the course of the song prior, leaving “Soul Blind” a natural place to start mellow and work its way into its own thrusts of volume, one, then another, before closing out the proceedings with a last lick of guitar and some residual lower hum.
Which is as fitting as anything, because like the rest of Black Harvest before it, “Soul Blind” makes complex songwriting ideas sound easy. Some bands just know how to put together a record. Green Desert Water sound utterly natural doing so, as if it could not and would not be something other than it is. All the more fortunate, then, for anyone who’d take the record on.
The clip for “Too Many Wizards” premieres below, and the full album stream for Black Harvest is down near the bottom of the post. You’ll find it above all the copious links. You know the way.
Enjoy:
Green Desert Water, “Too Many Wizards” video premiere
“Too Many Wizards” is the third track from Green Desert Water’s 2021 LP called Black Harvest.
Black Harvest is available on CD and digital formats via Small Stone and limited edition LP (deluxe gatefold) via Kozmik Artifactz. Find ordering options HERE where the record can be streamed in full:https://smallstone.bandcamp.com/album/black-harvest
GREEN DESERT WATER: Juan Arias García – fuzz bass Dani Barcena – drums, percussion Kike Sanchís – guitars, vocals
Guests: Kent Stump – additional guitar on “Black Harvest” Alvaro Barcena – backing vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 30th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Spanish heavy psych blues rockers Green Desert Water have set a Nov. 5 release for their new album, Black Harvest. To herald the opening of preorders, Small Stone is streaming “Too Many Wizards” from the record now, which will also see vinyl release in Kozmik Artifactz in the continuing partnership between the two labels. Not to be confused with the Green Lung record of the same name due in October on Svart, this Black Harvest is the follow-up to the band’s 2018 offering, Solar Plexus (review here), and rocks in an entirely different way.
“Too Many Wizards” has more in common sonically with All Them Witches, for example, and you know there’s nothing wrong with that either, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you. Note also the guest appearance on the record from Kent Stump of Small Stone alums Wo Fat, should you require further enticement.
The PR wire sent the following the other day and I’m late on it because I suck at this, even though I did the update for the band’s bio:
GREEN DESERT WATER: Black Harvest Full-Length From Spanish Psychedelic Blues Rock Trio To See Release November 5th Via Small Stone Records; “Too Many Wizards” Now Playing + Preorders Available
Oviedo, Spain-based psychedelic blues rock trio GREEN DESERT WATER will release their third full-length, Black Harvest, on November 5th via Small Stone Records!
Black Harvest is inarguably the band’s most cohesive, classic, and vibe-ready work yet. With the introduction of new drummer Dani Barcena, guitarist/vocalist Kike Sanchís and bassist Juan Arias García unite in classic power trio fashion, building upon the significant accomplishments of 2018’s Solar Plexus with even more flash of heavy blues, psychedelia, and weighted riffery. Can you hang? Of course you can!
Wo Fat’s own Kent Stump sits in on the title-track, which is a fitting centerpiece rife with AC/DC-vs.- Sabbath vitality, following behind the opening salvo of “Sacred Tree” and “Dead Sacred Tree,” which set a tone figuratively and literally for what follows with a focus on melody and songwriting – the catchy “Too Many Wizards” could easily be a state-of-the-union for the heavy rock underground – tempos no less comfortable careening than they are crashing, and a classic sensibility filtered through modern production that leaves the songs full and engaging for the most fickle of attention spans. Later, to be snared by “Shelter Of Guru” is to take a ride in a traditionalist caravan, and both journey and destination satisfy ahead of the capper boogie in “Soul Blind.” Rest assured, you’re about to spend 38 minutes in the presence of masters. Roll with it and be glad you did.
In advance of the release of Black Harvest, GREEN DESERT WATER is streaming “Too Many Wizards” noting, “when the old masters speak, the apprentice wizards must shup up, close their eyes, and open their minds…”
Black Harvest will be available on CD and digital formats via Small Stone and limited edition LP (deluxe gatefold) via Kozmik Artifactz.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 17th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
One might think of Sounds of the Heavy next weekend in Yucca Valley, California, as a complement to the Planet Desert Rock Weekend that kicked off last night in Las Vegas and runs until this coming Sunday. Sure enough, the international contingent of bands — Saturna, Kaiser, Omega Sun and Green Desert Water — will I guess be hanging out in the desert for a week in between the two events. Could be worse, I’m sure. They’re joined by House of Broken Promises — whose guitarist, Arthur Seay, is among the organizing principals of the seven-band lineup, along with Vegas Rock Revolution — as well as Here Lies Man, Diesel Boots out on the patio and The Battery Electric who hail from my beloved Garden State, which might as well be on the other side of the planet from Yucca Valley.
I’m not certain how it all came together, but if you’ve got the capacity to get yourself to the desert next weekend, it seems like a no-brainer good time will ensue.
Here’s the info and ticket links:
Vegas Rock Revolution & Arthur Seay Presents: Sounds of the Heavy
Vegas Rock Revolution & Arthur Seay Presents: Sounds of the Heavy on Friday May 24th at Gadi’s Bar & Grill in Yucca Valley
House of Broken Promises from Indio featuring both Arthur Seay and Mike Cancino (Both with Unida / DEATH in Pretty Wrapping) along with frontman Joe Mora (Street Drugs DTLA) will be melting faces.
Here Lies Man / RidingEasy Records comes over from L.A. with their fuzzy psych afrobeat style. Super exciting to have them as part of the event!
The Battery Electric from Asbury Park New Jersey drops in as well as 4 up and coming European heavy rock bands.
SATURNA- -Spain Kaiser —Finland OMEGA SUN — Slovenia Green Desert Water — Spain
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 30th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
John Gist, who is the gentleman behind the promotional company Vegas Rock Revolution and the Planet Desert Rock Weekend festival getting ready to hold its second edition this May, has passion to spare. Passion enough to spread around and have plenty leftover. There’s a little bit of that guy-who-runs-a-fest urgency about him as well — as one would hope for such an event to be successful — but he’s someone who knows his rock and wants everyone else to know it too. The primary driver is passion.
Planet Desert Rock Weekend 2 ups its predecessor this past November in terms of ambition. With a third headliner still to be announced, Gist will bring John Garcia back for a headlining spot and see the other go to Radio Moscow, who will play the first night at Count’s Vamp’d. In addition to this, he’s already got four — one, two, three, four — European bands on the bill in the form of Mr. Bison, Kaiser, Monsternaut and Green Desert Water, and to my knowledge none have played the US before. That’s a significant risk from a booking standpoint — those are good bands, but recall it took Truckfighters half a decade of laying groundwork for their first US tour — but there may indeed be more import acts added as well, since one way or the other, the lineup isn’t done.
Passion rarely is.
Info and links:
The time is near to start announcing Vegas Rock Revolution’s Planet Desert Rock Weekend 2 for May 16-19….
Desert legend John Garcia and 17 bands from all over the country …..very tightly selected lineups to showcase top bands from the long storied history of rock of heavy rock melded with hot younger acts. Oh yeah and cannabis is legal in Vegas !
The Lineup for Planet Desert Rock Weekend v2 so far is: John Garcia and the Band of Gold — Friday Radio Moscow — Thurs at Count’s Vamp’d Nebula Black Water Rising Ape Machine Thurs at Count’s Vamp’d The Watchers – Friday Red Stone Souls Sundrifter RIFFLORD Shotgun Sawyer Jason Walker and the Majestic 12
European Showcase Bands: MR.BISON Kaiser Monsternaut Green Desert Water
Only 300 tickets will be sold to this intimate show in one of the most premier rock clubs in the country. Count’s Vamp’d is owned by Danny “The Count” Koker from Counting Cars on the History Channel. All rock all the time and very good food also. Unique cool environment!
If your ears don’t automatically perk up on hearing the phrases ‘classic-style heavy rockers’ and ‘on Small Stone Records‘ in the same sentence, well, to put it mildly they should. Thus we find Spanish classic-style heavy rockers Green Desert Water making their debut on Small Stone Records with their second album overall, Solar Plexus. Quick to make an impression and earn immediate points with the opener and longest track “Open Your Wings,” the band trio channels earliest AC/DC on the swinging heavy blues of “Souls of the Woodland,” and offers a fluid dose of fuzz in “Chaman,” demonstrating a propensity both for hooks and for adding modern flair to the core heavy ’70s influence. The shuffle that emerges near the midsection of “Chaman,” for example, or the tambourine-laced jam in the penultimate “Mother Moon.” These are well-established methods, but as Small Stone has endeavored in recent years to demonstrate, a balance can surely be struck between the classic and the modern. Green Desert Water do this exceptionally well.
Solar Plexus breaks neatly into two vinyl halves, with three cuts on either side: two longer and one shorter to finish. Side B concludes with the title-track, only about a minute shorter than “Souls of the Woodland” or “Mother Moon” before it, but the difference is more striking on Side A, where “The Deepest Sea,” which is the shortest inclusion overall at 4:44, follows “Open Your Wings” and “Chaman,” both of which are more extended. “The Deepest Sea,” however, is an effective condensation of many of the record’s other impulses, with a strong hook, a perfect tempo, and an easy rhythmic swing that’s neither forced nor overstated. It engages quickly and asks little of the listener in terms of indulgences. These traits it shares in common with its surroundings, and while it may not be as long as “Open Your Wings” or “Mother Moon,” there’s no question the song accomplishes its task and represents the album well for its natural-sounding structure, modern production style and energetic delivery.
The three-piece is comprised of guitarist/vocalist Kike Sanchís, bassist Juan Arias García and drummer/backing vocalist Javi Gonzalez and Solar Plexus is out April 27, once again on Small Stone, which has preorders up now. Below, you can see the video premiere for “The Deepest Sea” and get some more background on the band from the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Green Desert Water, “The Deepest Sea” official video premiere
After getting their feet wet in a molten pool of heavy blues on their 2012 self-titled debut EP, GREEN DESERT WATER is ready for their next conquest. The Oviedo, Spain-based three-piece have been making a name for themselves as one of the best-kept-secrets of the Iberian heavy underground, and with Solar Plexus – their second LP – they’ve never sounded readier to let the cat out of the proverbial bag. And by “cat out of the bag,” we mean unleashing classic power trio grooves – all primo, all soul, but heavier and thicker and more modern than the first record.
Solar Plexus was recorded and mixed by Pablo Martínez Pérez at Ovni Estudio, mastered by Kike Sanchís at Green Desert Mastering and comes wrapped in the cover art of Héctor Castañón. The six-track offering will see release on CD, digital, and limited edition vinyl formats on April 27th via Small Stone.
GREEN DESERT WATER: Juan Arias García – fuzz bass Javi González – drums, percussion, backing vocals Kike Sanchís – guitars, vocals Additional guitar on “The Deepest Sea” by Pablo Martínez Pérez.
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 13th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
The eight-minute psychedelic swirly ‘Open Your Wings’ is the leadoff cut on Green Desert Water‘s second long-player and first for Small Stone Records, April’s gonna-be-here-before-you-know-it Solar Plexus. Not that I’ve heard it or anything — actually, I don’t think it matters in this case, since I also wrote the bio below, so yeah, I’ve heard it — but the record is an excellent blend of classic rock and psychedelic impulses, and like the best of what Small Stone over the label’s many years, its sound is modern nonetheless. Pretense is nowhere to be found, the basstone is gotta-hear-it, and there’s a resonant sense of soul that comes through from vocalist Kike Sanchís that recalls a heavy blues spirit without being directly attributable to one influence or another.
That’s my little take, anyhow. Again, I also wrote the bio below, but here it is circled back through the PR wire:
GREEN DESERT WATER: Iberian Stoner Rockers To Release Solar Plexus Via Small Stone; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available
With the purple sun, the hermit was introduced into the wild, through the mountains and the long desert to back home….
After getting their feet wet in a molten pool of heavy blues on their 2012 self-titled debut EP, GREEN DESERT WATER is ready for their next conquest. The Oviedo, Spain-based three-piece have been making a name for themselves as one of the best-kept-secrets of the Iberian heavy underground, and with Solar Plexus – their second LP – they’ve never sounded readier to let the cat out of the proverbial bag. And by “cat out of the bag,” we mean unleashing classic power trio grooves – all primo, all soul, but heavier and thicker and more modern than the first record.
Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Kike Sanchís, bassist Juan Arias García, and drummer/backing vocalist Javi González, GREEN DESERT WATER sinks its teeth into hellacious boogie on songs like “Open Your Wings” and find the place where Black Sabbath and Mountain could’ve met on “Souls Of The Woodland” – and when it comes to the title-track? Well, at least you know where they’re going to hit you. With six songs split up over two glorious vinyl sides, GREEN DESERT WATER’s Solar Plexus indeed puts itself right in the center of attention – refusing to commit to one single vibe or another as it captures the best energy of classic heavy rock and brings it forward to a modern era where it’s so desperately needed.
Solar Plexus was recorded and mixed by Pablo Martínez Pérez at Ovni Estudio, mastered by Kike Sanchís at Green Desert Mastering and comes wrapped in the cover art of Héctor Castañón. The six-track offering will see release on CD, digital, and limited edition vinyl formats on April 27th via Small Stone.
Solar Plexus Track Listing: 1. Open Your Wings 2. Chaman 3. The Deepest Sea 4. Souls Of The Woodland 5. Mother Moon 6. Solar Plexus
GREEN DESERT WATER: Juan Arias García – fuzz bass Javi González – drums, percussion, backing vocals Kike Sanchís – guitars, vocals Additional guitar on “The Deepest Sea” by Pablo Martínez Pérez.
