The history of stoner rock and its related genres are as storied and magnificent as they are elusive in an attempt to perpetuate in virtually every form. Sure, it’s a sound that can be argued to be little more than some groovy riffs, but there’s so much more that’s needed in order to bring about a truly magnificent performance of the sound, and that’s something that many have been trying to tap into for a long time now. It’s rare that we get a performance that’s grounded, intoxicating, and downright dirty for everything that it brings to the table; a concoction that only the finest can deliver. I’ve been aware of the name River Cult for some time now, but it’s now with their latest creation that I cannot help but feel as though the name should be spread far and wide for all that it pulls off in this record, matching some of the absolute greats of the sound.

If you’re to go back and look at a lot of the excellent albums in the stoner rock legendarium, there are many key aspects that set them apart from the music at the time as well as what keeps them relevant creations that we can’t help but come crawling back to even after all these years. Whether many are aware of it or not, modern bands of the sound are constantly clawing onto those concepts and ideals in some attempt to perpetuate that greatness or outright replicate it for whatever reason. However, it’s only in exceptional circumstances that we get something that really hits the nail right on the head.

A nasty performance that embodies the grit in the folds of your hands, the intensity of liberation through mild psychedelia, and the otherworldly thrill of a simple riff that worms its way into your head such that you cannot help but crank that volume. Not for nothing, River Cult delivers all that to overwhelming magnificence throughout “High Anxiety”.

If this is what River Cult has been building up to for the past nine years, then I’m quite upset the name of River Cult itself is not a name that should be right on the lips of any who consider themselves a connoisseur of this brand of heaviness. Absolutely rooted in stoner rock and executing many of its tendencies to great effect, it’s throughout the seven tracks of “High Anxiety” that we’re given a splendid tapestry of what happens when vision and talent intersect with grounded psychedelia and a damn good time. You can truly feel the freedom that River Cult enjoys in performing these songs. “High Anxiety” has so much to call its own from soaring rhythms that are always elevating you to a higher plane before being ripped down in glorious fashion thanks to impeccable heaviness that is always well-timed, perfect in its tone, and all the more satisfying for its juxtaposition to the smooth vocals that are singularly captivating. Always on the move and rarely retreading the same sonic territory, it’s in this performance that River Cult does far more than channel its predecessors to make for a performance that hits well and hits hard on every possible level.

An absolute earworm, “High Anxiety” is a triumph from start to finish. It’s just nasty enough and beyond satisfying to become lost within as River Cult takes you from one scene to the next in its unique realm, and it’s by the end of the record that you’ll be scrambling to go back into it. We’ve seen plenty of acts come around that bring together stoner rock, doom, and psychedelia in a form that bodes intrigue, but it ought to be clear that River Cult is operating on a different level altogether. Destined for greatness and a fitting cult status, it’s with “High Anxiety” that River Cult marks itself as the band you didn’t know you were missing in your life.

LISTEN to “High Anxiety” on Bandcamp here.

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