Sampling: Dead Meadow

DEAD MEADOW
OLD GROWTH
MATADOR

by Nick McGregor

Over the past ten years, Dead Meadow has steadily strengthened its position as connoisseurs of all things stoner rock, that hard-to-describe but easy-to-recognize hybrid of psychedelic metal and hard rock. This L.A.-by-way-of-D.C. trio spends most of its time languishing in the early ‘70s haze of bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Black Sabbath, infusing its muscular sound with plenty of trippy detours and. But on its latest album, Old Growth, it mixes in a surprising little dab of country rock.

And that’s where Old Growth differs from past Dead Meadow releases. Where earlier albums like Howl From The Hills and Shivering King And Others often sounded like they were recorded under several layers of muddy water, Old Growth finds lead guitarist and vocalist Jason Simon swimming out of the murk and into some much-needed lyrical clarity.

Dead Meadow’s familiar guitar crunch remains on the shuffling “Til Kingdom Come” and the syrupy “The Great Deceiver.” But a small helping of modern evolution comes through on “The Queen of All Returns” and the bluesy “Between Me and the Ground.” A little dark folk makes an appearance on the tribal “Seven Seers,” and the aforementioned country rock brings “I’m Gone” and “Keep On Walking” into the sunshine that Dead Meadow has avoided for close to a decade.

Therein lies the most unique aspect of Dead Meadow: without the major label support found behind more popular stoner rockers like Queens Of The Stone Age and Mars Volta, this unassuming trio has persevered through ten years, five albums, and a history of consistently solid live shows. No metal theatrics, no electro-synthesized assistance, just good, solid rock ‘n’ roll. You can even call ‘em retro if you want. But unlike more progressive bands in the genre, Dead Meadow seems happy to keep their stoner-psych corner occupied (there’s a new subgenre for all you music geeks out there).

So while Old Growth may sound like a 1971 redux, rest assured this trio is expanding in its own unique way. It may not be future-forward, but it still sounds damn good.