Opener 'Fallon City Messiah' immediately drags this thing into the world of stoner rock as Kyuss is by far the first band that comes to mind. Their influence will be a constant throughout the album, but here and there they are being joined by other grandmasters. 'Legal Aspect Of Love' brings Nirvana to mind, and especially their 'Heart Shaped Box' song. Alice In Chains is another influence which is quite noticeable here, along with Led Zeppelin, be it somewhat heavier.
On 'sunshine Blues' the trio shows their knowledge of both blues and psychedelic rock. But then, a first - and only - point of criticism arrives. Those first three songs drive on a modest tempo and that doesn't seem to change on the rest of the album. Although there is plenty of energy to be found, I wouldn't mind a few uptempos songs. Those would add some variation to the entire thing. 'Song For A Lost Mariner' is a step into the right direction but that one too quickly adapts the same tempo as the others.
That being said, 'Bastardizer' is another firm step into that uptempo goodness, be it for a while. This is the stuff I was writing about in the previous paragraph, stuff that might appear more often on the next Hey Satan album. And in that aspect I have to mention the fierce, almost thrash metal/hardcore inspired 'Black Flags Down'. Perhaps that song should have been placed earlier on the album. It's a blast.
So I asked and Hey Satan delivered, that's a good thing. In all, this obviously is an excellent stoner rock album, loaded with thick riffs and hypnotic drums. Fans of the genre can easily trust this trio to bring the fuzz and get the party started. No doubt about that. I'm sure these songs will find thier way to my speakers more often, with 'Black Flags Down' probably becoming the most played song. Of course I will recommend it to all you stoner rockers. After all, you live for this kind of music...
​Serge