2008 kicked up some fantastic releases for stoners and here’s another classic in case you missed it. All The Saints are a three piece who hail from Atlanta USA and have captured a stunning debut album available on Touch and Go Records with help from production skills of Ben H.Allen who has also worked with Animal Collective and Gnarls Barkley amongst others. The result of 2 weeks in their local studio is ‘Fire on Corridor X‘ and it’s been on the Crossfire stereo since it dropped through our door.
Mixing psychedelic sounds, crunching rhythms and a heavy splattering of rock and metal, All The Saints have concocted a sound that sits between the likes of Dead Meadow and Loop with tracks built up and stripped down through a cosmic ray of stoner bliss. Even though they hail from the City of Atlanta, there’s a British link in this record too. With song titles like ‘Leeds’ and ‘Sheffield’ you wonder if they had once lived in the UK but it turns out both are both cities on the interstate in Alabama. Although this is the case, guitarist and singer Jim Crook grew up to the sounds of My Bloody Valentine, Ride and The Jesus And Mary Chain by an indie radio station his elder sister used to tape in the early ’90s. These influences mould the idea of All The Saints but the band carve out their own blast of noise on this record with towering, epic tracks such as the 2 mentioned above and the impressive ‘Papering Fix’ that leaves your finger on the repeat button of your audio device.
This album is a mammoth piece of work and leaves the same taste in your mouth you first received when you heard Meanderthal by Torche for the first time. Timewise, the record is a perfect length for a debut and not too long that you get lost in the sonic overdose of psychedelic guitar wish wash that can drive you to sleep. ‘Fire on Corridor X‘ is the record that keeps you awake long enough to get to the end and recreate a fresh journey when you play it again. This record is right up there with the best of them, add it to your collection today.
Zac
all the saints live at death by audio (brooklyn) august 2nd, 2008 from acid marshmallow IV on Vimeo.