EP REVIEW: Boogie To Baja – Stöner

Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri (a founding member of stoner rock greats KYUSS) are names that need no introduction, and accompanied by drummer Ryan Güt they form the trio that make up STÖNER. With a plethora of influences, experience and fuzz-filled grooves, the band are everything that you could possibly need in a stoner rock supergroup. With two albums behind them, the trio of desert rock demi-gods return with their new vibe-filled EP Boogie To Baja.

Opening with the Stöner Theme (Baja Version) in all its fuzz-drenched magnificence, you know you’re in for a treat. The lavish recipe of Bjork’s trademark laidback riffs and Oliveri’s inextinguishable fire alongside Güt’s tight, swaggering grooves creates a feast for your ears and your imagination, combining desert swing, stoner rock and low desert punk into one colourful and vibrant package. For the majority of the EP it feels like you’re floating over the Californian desert on a kaleidoscopic cloud, it is so easy to be immersed in the vintage overdriven riffs and deep bass grooves.

The song that typifies STÖNER on this EP is the ten minute long jam and title track Boogie To Baja. A transcendental song that takes you through countless shades of psychedelia and desert rock, it may seem a little chaotic at first but once you succumb to its groove there is no escaping the Baja’s hypnotic effect. As a result, Boogie To Baja is another triumphant addition to the STÖNER back catalogue. The chemistry and cohesion between the band members is clear, and when you know that this is music made for the love of making music it has a wholesome effect on you.

So, if you’re in need of some time to sit back and space out with some fuzz-laden desert riffs and trippy guitar melodies, this EP is for you.

Rating: 8/10

Boogie To Baja is set for release on February 24th via Heavy Psych Sounds.

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