Fuzzy has always had a hankering for desert rock, and now that I actually live in the Mojave Desert, my love for this style of stoner fuzz has only grown stronger. There's something about this heavy rock style that makes it easy to imagine the hot, dusty trails surrounded by cactus and red cliffs. (Not to mention that I don't live too far from Sky Valley.) So I'm excited about the new album from the deserts of Chile called "Weird Tales" by CORMANO which drops on January 1.
"Weird Tales" is the LP follow-up to the trio's 2018 debut EP "EPXX18" and it keeps the same fuzzy desert rock sound with a dash of sinister spaghetti western overtones.
The album kicks off in grand style, with an overture with a heavy, epic riff that seems to announce, "This album is going to kick your ass." And indeed, the next track, with its eponymous title, does indeed unleash the next level of fuzz with the addition of vocals. These three dudes bang out a lot of sound for a three-piece, while keeping things tight and energetic in the way that only a trio can do it.
"Bury Me With My Money" wastes no time going political with its declaration of greed, but the real highlight is the guitar work and thundering drums in the middle of the song.
"El Caleuche" slows things down a bit, and keeps the spaghetti western flair going with the church bells, but then kicks in with the fuzz before it heads into heavy psych territory with extended guitar licks and layered effects.
"Urknall" brings back the vocals (this time in Spanish) and really gives the drums a chance to stand out, with extended drum solos and placing them near the top of the mix.
"Rise From Your Grave" has more of the heavy psych guitar work that we heard on "El Caleuche" with the addition of vocals.
"Futuere" is a flat-out rocker, and the finale "A Boy And His Dog" wraps up the album with a somewhat melancholy tale that ends with a bang.
"Weird Tales" is non-stop heavy energy from start to finish, with a variety of sonic styles to keep things fresh, so check it out on January 1 and ring in the new year with some great desert fuzz.
Fuzzy's Favorite: It's a tough choice, but I think the psychedelic vibes on "El Caleuche" make it stand out.
From the band:
"Weird Tales" is the first LP from Chilean Stoner 'N Roll band Cormano. The eight songs talk about ancient monsters, old western landscapes, and dystopian alternatives and other weird stories.
Cormano is from Santiago, Chile with members:
- Aaron Saavedra : Guitar/Vocals
- Claudio Bobadilla: Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals
- Rodrigo Jiménez: Drums/Backing Vocals
FFO: 3Demons, Inferous, and Electric Cult.
Follow the band on Bandcamp to find out when "Weird Tales" is released on January 1 at https://cormano.bandcamp.com