...And the Circus Leaves Town by Kyuss (Vinyl, 1995)

Elektra (Label)

4024572075255

13050141814

Kyuss

Vinyl

1995

Hard Rock

...And the Circus Leaves Town

LP

Rock

Kyuss: John Garcia (vocals); Josh Homme (guitar); Scott Reeder (bass); Alfredo Hernandez (drums). Additional personnel: Madman Of Encino (background vocals). Kyuss' fourth album, 1995's ...And the Circus Leaves Town is a rather uneven affair, and certainly a disappointment after the brilliance of the band's previous efforts. With the exception of the manic "El Rodeo" and the relentless "Tangy Zizzle" (probably the album's best songs), most of the tracks lack the fierce intensity and clever combination of light/heavy dynamics for which the band had become known. Instead, Kyuss often choose to simply lock onto a groove and ride it out in unspectacular fashion until the song's conclusion. Though the strategy seems to work on "Gloria Lewis," "Size Queen," and "Phototropic," the whole thing breaks down on the 11-minute closer "Spaceship Landing," which, after showing great promise with a massive drum beat and two minutes of first-rate thrashing, inexplicably lapses into a seemingly interminable plod. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Spin (9/95, pp.112-113) - 6 - Reasonably Good - "...wallows in a deep, bass-driven earthy blues that's on a continuum with John Lee Hooker, dub reggae, and Miles Davis' early '70s electric period. Kyuss' preferred method of assault is a slow-motion blizzard of sound, like thrash slowed down to 16 rpm..." Q (8/95, p.124) - 3 Stars - Good - "...part grunge rumble, part Mick Ronson salvo circa Spiders Of Mars....John Garcia's vocals wail convincingly but it's Josh Homme's fluid guitar that strays into everything from glam to thrash, with a touch of melody lulling the impartial listener into a false sense of semi-comfort..." NME (Magazine) (7/15/95, p.46) - 8 (out of 10) "...the thinking mammoth's metal muthas....Kyuss' riffs are supremely obese, like the bowels of Black Sabbath after six vindaloos and no rice, and only Monster Magnet can really compare on that level..."

Elektra (Label)

1

USA