Greenbeard – Variant
Sailor Records – 2022
Rock, Classic, Stoner, Blues, Desert, Hard
Rated: *****
The promo album arrived somewhere in March and immediately upon spinning Variant; we could not get over the fact that the vocals often shared the same color as Chris Goss and that there were these definite musical moments, mystical melodies that reminded of Goss’s Masters Of Reality as well. Second track Burns Like Basketweave being the pinnacle in that. And it turned Variant immediately into a household favorite and a much-played record. Variant is the classic and blues-tinged heavy rock, stoner infused album by Austin, Texas quartet Greenbeard. And indeed, it’s not just simply that… For the way they implore all the different heavy rock elements make them move ever more away from the trodden path and into a wild, strange and definite desert and alchemic rock adventure. And in the way the album dares to dive into the wind and take a look behind the veil of existence makes it even more reminiscent of Masters Of Reality. And then there’s more, more in the way of a saxophone, in soulful gospel breakdowns, in the width of every composition and the warmth of the production. Variant can easily and instantly be recognized as an amazing album and one that will ring on for a very long time to come…
(Written by JK)
