Some of the best heavy rock records of all time were released through Man’s Ruin Records. We’re talking about pivotal, genre-defining releases that continue to resonate some 20-plus years later, which in rock and roll time is an eternity. Some bands are still active and contributing, and some have left it behind, but in light of the sudden passing last week of artist and label-founder Frank Kozik, it felt right to take a look at that portion of his life he spent fostering bands and some of the impact that music has had on, at this point, two subsequent generations of heavy.

I’ve told this story before, but maybe in 2004, I was at SXSW in Austin, Texas, meandering off 6th St. in order to find a show happening in a record store. Went under the highway bridge and all that to get to Snake Eyes Vinyl. I don’t think it’s there anymore, but at the time they were hosting bands as part of the whole SXSW thing. They moved bins and so on to make room for amps, or had artists play outside; I sat on a hill and saw Kylesa on the back of a trailer on a sunny afternoon; Drunk Horse and Saviours shared the ‘stage’ inside, etc.

The narrative in my head is that I was waiting for either Drunk Horse or Saviours — I honestly don’t remember — to go on, did some shopping in the interim, and stumbled on a motherlode of Man’s Ruin CDs. Some I had, many I didn’t, but with the label defunct two years prior, the stuff was already becoming rare and, on eBay, not cheap. I grabbed a stack that was no fewer than 10 discs — including Drunk Horse — and made my way to the counter to pay, only to find out that they belonged to Becca, the woman who ran the store. She was visibly sad to be parting with them.

I said that it was okay, I would give them a good home and take care of them. And I did. I still have them the better part of two decades later. It tells you the kind of connections that listeners made to the music that Kozik put out that, even when she had decided to sell them in her shop, it was hard to let go of those albums. Kozik’s work with Man’s Ruin was special, and the heavy underground has worked on a label-as-hub model since, whether it’s imprints like Small Stone, Ripple Music, Heavy Psych Sounds, and so on. Not only is Kozik’s output through Man’s Ruin still relevant aurally and visually, but it continues to shape the structure of heavy rock’s promotional and distribution apparatus. One does not generally think of a small business as influential.

Yet here we are. Some of the below was hoisted from social media, and some folks I hit up direct or through PR, but through it all, the spirit of thankfulness is palpable, and I’ll add my thanks to that, because there’s no way I’d be sitting here writing this sentence right now if not for Frank Kozik and Man’s Ruin Records. Heavy music owes him a debt it can never repay.

Thanks to all who took part in this, and thanks as always for reading.

Lori S. from Acid King:

Wow (#128558#)(#128546#). Um…. Don’t know what to say . Man’s Ruin and Frank were a huge part of my life and always will be . Thank you for releasing our records creating a scene that didn’t exist and for the endless amount of cool artwork that will be on planet earth way longer than all of us R.I.P.

Sometime like, 94-96 I went to visit my friend, Tim Moss in San Francisco. While running around we stopped at Man’s Ruin where he introduced me to Frank Kozik and Frank being the nice guy that he is, let me grab a bunch of posters. I was freaking out. His label opened my ears to so many bands who later would become family. His art has always been a part of my life. Below is one of the prints he let me take and it was the very first piece of art we hung at Jackalope. Oh shit and then that amazing Man’s Ruin fest at the Troubadour w/ Scott Carlson, Lori Joseph, Rich Hay, Scott Reeder and lord can only remember who else (#128514#). Thanks for everything, Frank. Rest easy.

Fatso Jetson:

Our music and art scene has lost a true godfather, Frank Kozik believed in the unique music from our desert and was responsible for some of the most influential recordings, all were released on his Man’s Ruin label. From Kyuss to Queens of the Stone Age, Brant Bjork, the Jack Saints, Desert Sessions….the list goes on and on. We are so grateful and honored to be part of his history. Thank you Frank …Fatso sends love to you and your family brother. God Speed.

Brant Bjork (Kyuss, Ché, Fu Manchu, solo):

I was having dinner with Frank Kozik one night in SF and he asked me if it was true that I was going to record a solo record. I said yes. He said he wanted to put it out. The result was Jalamanta. That was in 1999 and it was my first solo release. I had no idea then I’d still be releasing solo records 24 years later. Thank you Frank for believing in me and all the other artists and bands you believed in. It takes one to know one. Frank was, still is and will always be… a true artist. ❤️BB

Eddie Glass of Nebula:

Frank was such a cool dude and played a legendary part in the scene when it was coming up. It was so cool being on his label because he would design the covers and the Sun Creature EP came out perfectly. He will be dearly missed.

Amanda Topaz from Begotten:

Frank Kozik was a friend at a time in my life when it was really hard to be my friend. His unexpected death makes me incredibly sad an my thoughts are with his wife Sharon. Although I Haven’t seen him in twenty years I am so grateful for his generosity. I don’t think cats now realize the extent of what he gave us because now the Spotify AI Algorithm picks out what you listen to every day, AI makes your music videos for you, for all I know AI is generating your riffs for you too. But back then in New York, finishing up music school where I was lucky enough to have one of Coltrane’s bass players as a teacher – and he would tell us – We can teach you how to play the music but you have to understand that it’s the soul of our generation – we created it in the streets and in the clubs -. Imagine then as a lost child hearing THE MELVINS for the first time – this sound from the Bay Area all the way across the country – for the first time at 1 in the morning from some cd bought in an underground record shop in a back alley with a group of friends. Or the desert sessions. Or Acid King / Kyuss / Nebula/ High on Fire. It was life-changing. This was the sound of OUR generation. Kozik handed it to us on a Man’s Ruin platter. Didn’t make a dime off it – he supported the company with poster and art sales as far as I know. And he was nice enough to give our big ugly maroon 89 Chevy van the name, “La Guappa”.

Lou Gorra of Solarized (also Halfway to Gone):

Frank was a brilliant artist. We all know that. I was so incredibly humbled when one of my favorite artists of all time signed my dopey little band to one of the coolest labels of the twentieth century. My time making records for Man’s Ruin was short lived, but the memories I made during that time will remain with me for the rest of life. I’m so incredibly sad that there will be no more new Kozik art for the world to love, but I’m tearfully grateful that my music can be referenced in his monolithic legacy, even in the most minuscule way. Thank you Frank. RIP

Darryl Shepard (ex-Roadsaw, currently Kind, etc.):

Sergio Ch. of Los Natas (currently Ararat, Soldati, solo, etc.):

Frank gave me the opportunity of my life. He believed in my work and shared it to the world. Got me into the big leagues just trusting some guys from Argentina and their love for music. I wouldn´t be standing where I am right now if not for is help, art and determination. I remember after recording album Ciudad de Brahman, back in San Francisco 1999, we piled into his truck and took a ride, just pumping the album’s mix cassette tape into the car’s player. He looked at me right into my eyes in a stop light and told me, almost breaking in tears, “Sergio, your music has spirit. Never give up. I am old and tired but you must keep doing what you do.” A few [years] later, Man’s Ruin Records announced their closeup and I got a huge UPS box right at my home in Argentina, including the one inch tapes from Natas’ Ciudad de Brahman album. along with a release rights letter from Frank. What a gentleman. Will miss you Boss, thanks and love foreva.

Erik Larson of Alabama Thunderpussy:

I didn’t know Frank Kozik as well as I would have liked to, but the fact that I knew him at all is nothing short of fantastic. When we met, I was just some Metal-Punk from Virginia, and yet the man showed me and Alabama Thunderpussy nothing but encouragement throughout the years we had a working relationship. I could always count on a no bullshit opinion from him. Frank didn’t seem to tolerate bullshit. His whole approach to Man’s Ruin Records seemed to be a testament to that viewpoint, and a ‘pay attention to what’s important right now’ attitude that kept things exciting, challenging and precarious all at once. I think it is safe to say Alabama Thunderpussy would never have achieved as much as we have, had it not been for that first opportunity Frank Kozik gave to us. I’m forever grateful to him for that.

Jim Hogan of Solarized (currently Defiance Engine):

When Frank Kozik ran Man’s Ruin Records, he helped our band, Solarized, more than any other label we ever dealt with. He offered a 50% profit split, made us store posters, and he made custom screened posters for when we toured. Eventually the label folded, but he helped hundreds of bands, and he and his crew released a whole lot of great albums. His poster art, his custom vinyl toys, and his record label were nothing short of amazing. He was the only guy we ever knew who got interviewed by Newsweek. He was an outstanding human being and he is truly a brother lost.

Reg Hogan of Solarized (currently Defiance Engine):

We send our heart felt condolences to Frank’s family and friends…Frank did more to elevate scene awareness, with his passion and love for the music, than most of the music industry. We are grateful he took a shine to our brand of Jersey swamp rock.

Arthur Seay of Unida:

Was an honor to have Frank release our Unida record ‘Coping with the Urban Coyote’, which really put us on the map and allowed us to tour Europe and caught the attention of the majors lol. He was a true artist, gifted, talented and crazy as fuck.

Jason Casanova of Tummler (currently Sasquatch):

Frank was the man. Not only for his art, but his vision for Man’s Ruin and the music scene that it created. I can’t thank him enough for giving my old band Tummler a shot at putting out a record back in the heyday. The smoking bunny will live on forever. RIP dude. You rule. – C

Johan Rockner of Dozer:

RIP Frank Kozik ❤️

He signed us back in ’98 and released our two first albums In the Tail of a Comet and Madre De Dios. He was one of those who believed in us, which we are forever thankful for. Without him Dozer would not be were we are. We met him in Stockholm at his exhibition “the Stockholm job”, a really cool and down to earth kind of guy.

Ben Ward of Orange Goblin:

Sad news this morning that the legendary artist Frank Kozik has passed away. Frank did some great artwork for Orange Goblin over the years and his label, Man’s Ruin Records, was responsible for some of the coolest releases in various genres from the mid to late ’90s. His artwork lives on forever and Frank will be remembered as a kind, funny, intelligent and humble man with a very unique style and he will be missed. Condolences to his family and friends. Thank you Frank, RIP.

Sons of Otis:

RIP Frank Kozik(#128128#) Mad visionary. The ONLY label that ever paid us.

Solarized, Neanderthal Speedway (1999)

Primo fuzz the way they used to make it. New Jersey heavy rock, like my beloved Garden State itself, will always hold a special place in my heart, but I’ll confess I never got to see Solarized live. That hasn’t stopped me from over the years periodically taking Neanderthal Speedway or its 2001 follow-up, Driven off the shelf and giving them a spin. And why would it? The albums, the first of which came out on Man’s Ruin Records on April 9, 1999, have a fuzz and personality of their own, but listening back to the 12 tracks of Neanderthal Speedway now, my head is flooded with associations, from the riff of “Solar Fang” being directly tied to Monster Magnet‘s “Zodiac” to the low end work that Lou Gorra was simultaneously bringing to his own band, Halfway to Gone, while doubling alongside Solarized‘s core founding duo of guitarist/vocalist Jim Hogan and drummer Reg Santana, to the smell of sweaty summer nights at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch and the ride back north on the Parkway. Rounded out by guitarist Pete Hauschild on the debut, Solarized were never the highest-profile of the New Jersey heavy underground set, which at the time was being widely picked up by labels big and small in the wake of Monster Magnet‘s commercial success, whether it was Core on Atlantic, Solace on MeteorCity, Halfway to Gone on Small Stone, or The Atomic Bitchwax on Tee Pee.

There was certainly plenty enough rock to go around, and one can hear the punker roots that a lot of the above bands share/shared in Solarized‘s “Psyclone Tread,” but like so many others of their ilk, slowing down (some) and fuzzing out suited Solarized impeccably. They started Neanderthal Speedway at a good clip with “Nebula Mask,” seeming to answer Californian desert rock directly with a decidedly Eastern Seaboard crunch to their guitar tones. Hogan‘s vocals were clean but not overly melodic — another punk trait — and the drive of the tracks on the whole was more geared toward rawness than patience, even when it came around to cuts like “Shifter” on which Ed Mundell and Tim Cronin — both of Monster Magnet at one point, now of The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic and The Ribeye Bros., respectively — turned in guest appearances on guitar and percussion. Solarized seemed far more comfortable in the middle ground of songs like “Fire Breather,” “Gravity Well” and “Black Light Swill,” digging into hooks and hard-hitting, mid-paced riff-led fare, given to an overarching nod, but not necessarily slow in itself. Even a song like “February Sixth (Anti-Life Equation),” which boasted such rhythmic swing, kept to a solid tempo. Hey, if you’ve got a thing, and it works, go for it.

The four-piece’s original bio for Neanderthal Speedway, which was posted here seven years ago, noted Hogan‘s and Santana‘s connections to Daisycutter, in which Cronin and Mundell also played, as well as The Atomic Bitchwax‘s Chris Kosnik later on, and called Solarized “atomic boogie rock.” Fair enough. To hear “Aftermath,” it’s a decent description, and though Solarized saved the most of their lysergy for when Mundell showed up as on “Cloud King” or the excuse-me-I-believe-you-have-it-backwards instrumental closer “Monolith,” and it worked for them when they broke it out, but their sound was by no means a constant one way or they other. That worked for them too. Here’s the full bio in case you don’t feel like clicking the link:

As you can see, it was a pretty easy sell. Fuzz-drenched heavy rock and roll from what was at the time one of the country’s most fertile underground scenes. After Man’s Ruin went under, Solarized hooked up with MeteorCity for Driven — the label had also put out the Jersey Devils split with Solace (discussed here) in ’99 — and then seemed to sort of dissolve by the mid-aughts. Jim and Reg, who share the last name Hogan these days, play together in the punk band Defiance Engine, and Reg has another new outfit called 19DRT who’ll play their first show on April 20 at the Mill Hill Basement in Trenton. Ah, memories of that place.

I guess I’ve got New Jersey on the brain because, you know, I wish I lived there, but whatever the case, as always I hope you enjoy.

—

If how long it’s taken me to put together this post and how much of the last hour I’ve spent asleep with my head down on the kitchen table is anything to go by, I probably should’ve gone back to bed at some point after the alarm went off at 4:30AM. Perhaps the hint I should’ve taken was when I looked at my phone and it was 4:45 and I’d missed the first two rounds of the alarm. It was not my most fluid of mornings.

But that only feels fair enough since this was the LONGEST FUCKING WEEK EVER. Oh my god damn was this week long. Yesterday, I was sitting in The Patient Mrs.’ car waiting to pick her up from work and I fell asleep with my head on the steering wheel as I tried to calm The Pecan in the back seat, who was screaming like a madman — because he hates when the car sits still, likes it when the car moves. He finally quieted down and we both fell asleep at about the same time with the car idling outside the library on her campus. Some time later there’s a knock on the driver’s side window and I’m shocked awake. I jumped and rolled down the window and told the cop, “You scared the shit out of me,” which is apparently something you can say when you’re 36 years old, so white you’re practically transparent, and driving a Volvo with a baby and a dog in back. I told him I was waiting for my wife and my explanation for why I was unconscious was as simple as pointing to the back seat and saying, “five month old.” He said, “It gets better,” and went on his way.

But still, longest week ever. I can’t believe it’s not next Wednesday yet. Between the Quarterly Review, getting the last bits of the Roadburn ‘zine in place — still working on that — and other writing projects, my big luxury yesterday was stopping to go the bathroom and take a shower. I didn’t have time to do either, really. What a wreck. The Quarterly Review wraps on Monday, which will be a relief, and then it’s back toward some semblance of normality.

Subject to change as always, here are the notes for the week:

Mon.: QR6, Brond track premiere.
Tue.: Rancho Bizzarro EP stream, Green Desert Water video premiere.
Wed.: Shrine of the Serpent track premiere.
Thu.: Hound the Wolves Six Dumb Questions; Greenbeard video premiere.
Fri.: Mirror Queen video premiere.

So yeah, that plus catching up on all the news that slipped through the cracks this week should be a nice break. That’s why I get paid the big bucks. Ha.

On that happy note, I wish you a great and safe weekend. If you need me, I’ll still be here, trying to catch up. Maybe I’ll even answer some email and Facebook messages for the first time in like a week.

Please check out the forum and radio stream.

The Obelisk Forum

The Obelisk Radio

Solace & Solarized, Jersey Devils Split (1999)

Hit the right store on the right day and you might still run into a copy of the 1999 Jersey Devils split between Solarized and Solace. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen one around somewhere in the last year, anyhow, and it’s one that if, you run into it, it’s well worth taking note. Both bands wreck it. Like they got invited to a fancy dinner party and smashed the china, cracked the stemware and made off with the good silver so they could pawn it and buy more amps to blow out. Like something out of an ’80s metal video except played by punk rockers who decided at some point to get heavy. Released through Freebird Records and MeteorCity, Jersey Devils combined an EP from each outfit — both based in my beloved Garden State — into one eight-track/45-minute CD, and managed to document a particular moment in the scene around the Central Jersey Shore area, from Asbury Park to Long Branch.

The same region, small, densely-packed, crowded in summer, intense in the peculiar way of the Northeastern US, but still very much a “beach town” atmosphere, had already launched the likes of Core, Monster Magnet and The Atomic Bitchwax, and unsurprisingly, the members of Solarized and Solace were a part of that sphere as well. Though their roots, as noted, came from punk, Solace guitarist Tommy Southard and bassist Rob Hultz (now also of Trouble) played in the prior outfit Godspeed in the mid-’90s — also in a ton of other bands — and Solarized followed a similar path, with guitarist Jim Hogan playing in Dirge before establishing himself in Daisycutter and, with drummer Reg Hogan as the second in a core duo surrounded by a revolving cast of bassists and guitarists including Lou Gorra of Halfway to Gone, eventually landing in the fuzzier aesthetic of later-’90s stoner rock.

Timing-wise, Jersey Devils could hardly have hit at a better moment. Both bands were still a bit off from making their full-length debut, so the split was as much an introduction as it was a showcase, and taking the first turn, Solarized brought out the four tracks of what they called the Eight Ways to Sunday EP, a sub-15-minute work on the rawer end of heavy rock and roll, fueled by a propulsive straightforwardness that spoke to Hogan‘s sonic origins despite its thicker tones. Song titles “Slide,” “Drifter,” “Crucible” and “Sugar Bag” likewise served notice of a lack of a sans-frills approach, more concerned with momentum and attitude in the immediate start of “Slide” and post-grunge thrust on “Drifter” than with fleshing these pieces out as much as even Solace would do during their portion of this release. It was a mean sound, but not without its groove or play on tempo, as “Slide” and “Crucible” took on a more mid-paced push and “Drifter” and the quick-turning 2:45 instrumental “Sugar Bag” offered a belted-out summary of where they came from and where they were headed, and the predilection for winding rhythms — something they held in common with The Atomic Bitchwax, whose first album also surfaced around this time — that would continue as they careened into their Neanderthal Speedway long-player on Frank Kozik‘s Man’s Ruin Records, which like many titles on that long-defunct imprint, remains woefully in need of a reissue.

As regards Solace, here’s some quick math: If Jersey Devils is 45 minutes long — and it is; 45 minutes flat — and Solarized take just less than 15 of those 45 for their four inclusions, that leaves Solace with more than two-thirds of the release for their own material. Balance? Fuck it. Not when you can include a live cover of James Gang‘s “Funk #49” at the end after three originals, the first two of which are longer than what the band before has done. Solace basically ate Jersey Devils alive, is what I’m trying to say. And in so doing, they characterized the brazenness that would become an essential facet of their personality as a group and gave a preview of both of their first two albums, with “Heavy Birth/2-Fisted” going on to appear as the finale of 2000’s Further and “Try” showing up again on 2003’s 13 (discussed here). I’ll never try to feign impartiality when it comes to their work — because make no mistake, I’m a fan — but through “Heavy Birth/2-Fisted,” “Dirt,” “Try” and the aforementioned “Funk #49,” Solace tore ass and had a party doing it. Even the quiet stretch of guitar led by Southard‘s psychedelic jamminess at the start of “Dirt” seemed like a precursor to a riot, and sure enough, it was. Vocalist Jason was on fire and drummer Kenny Lund (or is it Bill “Bixby” Belford here?) no less adaptable building the tension in the midsection of “Heavy Birth/2-Fisted” than to holding the ground beneath the solo at the end of “Dirt” or the all-out intensity of “Try”‘s explosive payoff.

Neither group would ultimately be defined as a whole by the work they did on Jersey Devils, but the split was pivotal in setting the course of both. Solarized would release Neanderthal Speedway also in ’99, roughly concurrent, and follow-up with their second record, Driven, in 2001 — their swansong to-date. They’d continue to play local shows for years and rotate their lineup around Jim and Reg to one degree or another, and the pair can now be found in the hardcore-punk-tinged Defiance Engine, whose latest single, “Capitol Hell,” came out in 2014. Solace, in the meantime, stomped through Further and 13 and a handful of shorter offerings before their 2010 masterstroke, A.D. (review here), preceded a period of hiatus. In 2015, they returned with drummer Tim Schoenleber and vocalist Justin Goins joining Southard, Hultz and guitarist Justin Daniels, and earlier this year they released the cassingle Bird of Ill-Omen (review here) and were confirmed to take part in Magnetic Eye Records‘ Pink Floyd tribute compilation (info here), as well as Pittsburgh’s inaugural Descendants of Crom fest in September (info here) — all hopefully as a precursor to a new full-length somewhere down the line.

I’m not saying hold your breath, but hey, it could happen.

As always, I hope you enjoy.

—

After spending all of last week on the road — to Maryland, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey and Connecticut; East Coast tour! — The Patient Mrs., the impending Pecan, the Little Dog Dio and I got back home to Massachusetts this past Tuesday. We brought my mother north with us from NJ last Saturday and she’s been staying here since, helping us get ready for the baby in October. It’s been fantastic having her around, and we’re kind of laid back, which I think she’s appreciated at least in a nice-place-to-visit-but-if-I-lived-here-I’d-be-bored-out-of-my-fucking-mind kind of way, which is fair. Anyway, we rarely get quiet time together, so I’ve really enjoyed it. Got a lot done for the Pecan — changing table and pack and play (mostly) accomplished — so all the better. Tuesday I made a taco-flavored ground-chicken meatloaf as well, and that ruled.

Today — probably around the time this post goes live, actually — we’ll head back south to Connecticut again. My mother will likely be picked up by my sister and go home either tomorrow or Sunday, but The Patient Mrs. and I will stay at the beach probably at least until the middle of next week. I’ve packed enough underwear to get through Wednesday. After that, I either need to come home, do laundry, or buy more boxers. It being between semesters and my being unemployed, there isn’t really any call to be anywhere at any given moment, and for now, that’s been nice.

That trip south was harrowing at times, and I’ve been I think justifiably beat as a result, but a couple days back up here at home have been restorative. Watched some Star Trek: The Next Generation, tried a new-to-me local health food store that was pretty good, wrote, and, again, got a lot done for the Pecan. You should’ve seen me take the dresser out of The Patient Mrs. car by myself yesterday. Looked like a damned fool.

With all the back and forth though, I’ve decided to push the Quarterly Review back another week. That gives me next week to prepare and it’ll start on Monday, July 10. Do you care? Probably not. We’ll get there. My desktop is too crowded not to do it, so it’ll happen. In the meantime though, next week has filled up well, especially considering the holiday.

Here’s what’s in the notes, subject to change without notice:

Mon.: The Midnight Ghost Train review/lyric video premiere; video premiere from Hypertonus; new track from Thee Iron Hand.
Tue.: Radio Adds (for America!); Blackout video.
Wed.: Venomous Maximus review/track premiere; maybe a video premiere from Salem’s Bend.
Thu.: Six Dumb Questions with Demon Head; The Great Beyond video.
Fri.: Lowrider Ode to Io vinyl reissue review with a premiere of an exclusive side-by-side comparison mix to the original version (it’s gonna be cool).

Like I said, busy week. There’s news and such and sundry as well. It’ll be good. Stick around. It’ll be good.

Please have a great and safe weekend. If you’re in the US and celebrating the July 4 holiday next Tuesday, don’t blow off your hand with fireworks. If you imbibe alcohol or anything else, do so carefully. Have fun. Have all the fun. But no casualties, please.

Thanks for reading, and don’t forget the forum and radio stream.

The Obelisk Forum

The Obelisk Radio

Of the sundry stoner/riff-heavy bands that emerged from my beloved Garden State in the wake of Monster Magnet‘s run at major label success, one of the most often and most unfortunately overlooked is Solarized. They had two albums in 1999’s Neanderthal Speedway (Man’s Ruin) and 2001’s Driven (MeteorCity), a split with Solace, and they appeared on a couple compilations, but then they faded into the swamps. The scene links were there — guitarist/vocalist Jim Hogan and drummer Regina Santana were in Daisycutter with Tim Cronin (The Ribeye Bros.) and Ed Mundell (now ex-Monster Magnet), and in and out of the band at different points were Halfway to Gone‘s Lou Gorra and Lee Stuart, the latter who went on to form A Thousand Knives of Fire — but that wasn’t enough to get Solarized much past 2003. Their last reported lineup was Hogan, Santana, bassist George Pierro and second guitarist Dave Topolenski.

I was doing my usual bit of late night eBay dicking around last week when I spotted an original Man’s Ruin promo for Neanderthal Speedway (the kind with the bio attached that’s been posted about before, and before, and before) and decided to snap it up for the listed $7 and use posting the bio as an excuse to revisit the album, which I already owned. It’s a friendly listen, some psychedelia spread throughout, and Hogan‘s vocals are gruff but not forced, and buried under his ultra-fuzzed out guitar. The Atomic Bitchwax‘s first record, which also came out in 1999, but on Tee Pee, is a decent point of reference, but something about Solarized is more assured and confident in its sound. Both Tim Cronin and Ed Mundell turn in guest appearances throughout Neanderthal Speedway, and listening to it now that the stoner scene has grown internationally and splintered so much, it’s kind of a return to simpler times, which, as someone who wishes people didn’t get offended at the term “stoner rock,” I can appreciate every now and then.

The bio may not be as thrilling as Brant Bjork‘s or Goatsnake‘s, but here it is anyway. Click the image to make it bigger in a new window/tab:

For what it’s worth, I was happy to get the chance to listen to Neanderthal Speedway again. Granted, I could have done so without spending any money by taking the disc off my shelf at any given point, but screw it, it was $7 and “February Sixth (Anti-Life Equation)” rules and the riff of “Solar Fang” is close enough to “Zodiac Lung” to give me a fix, so I don’t feel like I lost out on anything. I was still in high school at the time and knew squat about stoner rock, but it would have been something to run into Solarized at a show. I suppose I still feel that way now.