Hail! Hornet

When one considers the, shall we say, "social" interaction that is usually involved with smoking weed, it's no wonder that the stoner rock community seems to produce more intra-group collaborations than most musical cliques, and in Hail Hornet, the genre has yet another such "supergroup" to follow in the footsteps of luminary predecessors like Down, the Desert Sessions, and the Mighty Nimbus. Comprised of vocalist Troy Medlin (of Sourvein), guitarist Vincent Burke (Beaten Back to Pure, Sourvein), bassist "Dixie" Dave Collins (Weedeater, Buzzov*en, Bongzilla), and drummer Erik Larson (normally a guitarist with Alabama Thunderpussy, the Mighty Nimbus, etc.), Hail Hornet's pedigree certainly reads like an embarrassment of riches, and their eponymous debut album doesn't give failure a chance with its notably energetic brand of stoner metal. If anything, the quartet seem focused on their hardcore influences, as this would explain the preponderance of short, slam dancing numbers like "Golden Whore," "Devil's Hound," "Concussion Conspiracy," and the wildly schizophrenic "Nerves," which provides an especially stellar showcase for Larson's talents behind the kit. But the guys in Hail Hornet also pile on the sludge nice 'n' thick for more deliberate dirges like the ultra-creepy "He Who Walks Behind the Rose Bros." (featuring some wonderfully wacky whispered lyrics) and protracted album closer "Swarm of Malice," while making use of every gear available when chugging down the highway strapped to voracious riff engines like "Believe in Black," "Life's Riddle," and the soft/hard knockout of "Foxy F**k / No Solution." All told, the group's fine-tuned musical interplay and obviously effortless creative collaboration make this a surefire candidate for stoner rock album of the year, and suggests it won't be the last time we hear from Hail Hornet, no matter how busy their primary bands may keep them.