Whereas it was just the other day that I was reminded of the undeniable strength of the stoner scene at large as we can bear witness to in the forthcoming work from Borracho, I knew it wouldn’t be long before a fresh, rising name would come out of nothingness to deliver upon us such potential and promise that is downright salivating. If you know where to look, invigorating new talent is always around the corner damn near constantly. With their first offering, Gain proves that theory true with the ensuing material doing more than enough justice for the whole of stoner rock.

Sometimes, you don’t need to shoot for the stars or try to bring something overwhelming massive to the table in order to make your impact known and really set the bar for what’s to be expected from your act in the future. Many times, doing your own thing is more than enough to get the attention of new listeners. A straightforward and relatively simple but nonetheless effective portrayal of stoner rock as a whole, Gain has the aura of a band simply jamming out in somebody’s basement and loving every minute of it. Through every riff and melodic note that’s thrown down in the six tracks of “High Peak, Low Life”, it’s here that Gain makes for an entry that’s as promising as it is tasty to really sink your teeth into. Naturally, there are rough patches every so often as Gain makes its way through its first non-demo performance with some instances feel a little repetitive, but, as a whole, I cannot help but look upon this work and not feel as though it’s downright foundational for future success. Where many can only hope to have a loose concept over the core ideals of this wide-reaching genre, it’s constantly that “High Peak, Low Life” offers up a surprisingly high bar of quality for a band that has only taken its first steps.

While the musicians in this act have experience elsewhere throughout the underground, their foray into stoner rock is something to be respected both for all that it does get right and what it gets wrong for you can feel Gain having a damn good time even in its missteps with such euphoria downright infectious. It’s the first steps that are almost always the most important, and for all the strides that are taken throughout “High Peak, Low Life”, I cannot help but feel as though Gain is on the right path.

LISTEN to “High Peak, Low Life” on Bandcamp here.

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