Josiah - Out Of The First Rays (Sealed) (CD)

20 years on and Out Of The First Rays is still as powerful today. As the band rip straight into "Head On" it's clear that Josiah wanted to take heavy rock back to it's opiate drenched roots. Psychedelic lyrics sung with soul and the heavy as fuck grooves laid down across this release owe a debt to Black Sabbath and Monster Magnet. "Malpaso" quickly became the bands signature track (featuring on film soundtracks and TV shows) with its pulsating riffs and trippy middle section and "Spacequake" makes you start to think there must be something in the midlands water supply, as Bethancourt echoes Ozzy with "come take my hand my child" and the Iommi styled guitar hooks kick you straight in the gut. "Sweet Smoke" kicks off side B with its Cactus meets Grand Funk early 70's rock vibes. The sonic interplay between the power trio, back the vocals up for this anthem to a burning earth - "Let the flames just take you higher". The 10 minute closer "Black Maria" with its psychedelic twin vocals and one of the heaviest riffs you'll hear this side of dead, gives way to uptempo bass grooves and a wah drenched lead break. Take another sip of the electric kool-aid baby, before we "slide down the cosmos" and fall into the big black sleep.