We all have to start somewhere. The very scope of the worlds of both metal and rock have become so expansive and inclusive that it is impossible to keep track of it all even as throngs of people do their best to collectively keep an eye out wherever they may look, and the constant rising of new names truly makes that a struggle. But, it’s a great opportunity for further greatness. New names mean new creations even if they fall well within the boundaries of what’s been done before as they can still achieve some semblance of intrigue and quality that we can lose ourselves in even more. With their debut album, High Leaf sought to bring their own brand of glory to a sound they’ve great reverence for with the resulting album that puts them on the right path.

While it is debatable from one person to the next as to what a “standard” stoner experience consists of, there are more than a few bands out there that bring it forward constantly with plenty succeeding where others simply aren’t able to rise above for one reason or another. Admittedly, it took me multiple spins of their debut album in order to really find myself vibing with all that it has to offer with it being incredibly clear to me now that even though this is far from a record that adds anything new to the style or dares to shake things up, “Vision Quest” is an entertaining record that is not to be denied with all that it accomplishes in its nearly 40-minute runtime. Packed with plenty of riffs to scratch the itch of anyone who might have it for such excellence, it is needless to say that it’s hard to expect immense grandeur from High Leaf given it is but the band’s first creation, but I really do feel like that would be diminishing the promise that is on full display here as the twists and turns are captivating as well as flavorful. With the sound able to lean into the metal spectrum just a tad for a bit of extra flair while the stoner rock that’s on full blast is not ashamed to walk down the same path as those that have come before, “Vision Quest” may not be the massive, eye-opening creation that we’re always looking out for. Rather, it’s the start of a new name whose adventure has only just begun with this first crucial step into the fray.

This is the sort of album that we’ve seen hundreds of times at this point, but with it being filled with passion and a clear drive to deliver their own excellence that they crafted with their own fingers and sung with their own voices, High Leaf’s entrance is not one that deserves to be easily dismissed. Whatever is to happen next in the coming years, “Vision Quest” is a damn good start if there is to be one, and High Leaf should find peace and pride in such a fact.

LISTEN to “Vision Quest” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE High Leaf on Facebook here.