Aural Fixations

SPIRIT CARAVAN
The Last Embrace
(MeteorCity)
THE HIDDEN HAND
Divine Propaganda
(MeteorCity)
PLACE OF SKULLS
With Vision
(Southern Lord)
Scott "Wino" Weinrich is one of the unsung heroes of the rock underground. His former bands the Obsessed and St. Vitus virtually invented what pundits now called stoner rock, with his guitar mastery, intelligent and heartfelt songs and gruff, soulful voice shining like beacons in an alleged genre far too many folks dismiss out of hand. More importantly, he's one of the few metal musicians to have expanded on the legacy of Black Sabbath, actually moving the style forward, instead of just enthusiastically emulating the pioneers. He's even been credited as an influence by such diverse artistes as the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and members of Fugazi. While the Obsessed hasn't existed in a decade and Wino's had to deal with the consequences of the usual rock excesses, he hasn't been idle. Indeed, he's already used up and spit out the power trio Spirit Caravan, formed another band called the Hidden Hand and become an erstwhile member of fellow travelers Place of Skulls.

Scott "Wino" Weinrich
is one of the
unsung heroes of
the rock underground. Spirit Caravan was well-named; in retrospect, the band not only summed up Wino's musical interests but also documents his personal and spiritual journey. The Last Embrace compiles the best of Spirit Caravan's records (at least the two full-length ones—strangely, there's nothing from the Dreamwheel EP), as well as rare tracks taken from 7-inch singles, outtakes and the last three tunes the band ever recorded. Indeed, each of the two disks kicks off with one of the latter, the acoustic/electric title track and the pounding "Dow-Tongued Aggressor," both of which stand as two of the Caravan's best songs ever, making the band's split all the more regrettable. But the body of work left behind is well represented here. Classic tracks from Jug Fulla Sun ("No Hope Goat Form," "Melancholy Grey," "Kill Ugly Naked" [a remake of an old Obsessed song], "Dead World/Jug Fulla Sun") and Elusive Truth ("Black Flower," "Retroman," [sung by Lemmy-lunged bassist Dave Sherman], "Cloudy Mirror" and the trio's eponymous theme song) join long-lost cuts like "So Mortal Be" and "Darkness & Longing" (taken from 45s) and "Courage" and "Lost Sun Dance" (unreleased songs from the period when the band was named Shine) for a smorgasbord of world-class underground grunge metal that meets and even exceeds the standards Wino set for himself in the Obsessed. To put it more succinctly: this is great stuff, and any heavy rock fan worth his weight in Marshalls should eat heartily. [buy it]

The Hidden Hand finds the metal icon plying his louder-than-God trade in a power trio that eases back on the sludge a little (and just a little) and is altogether more forceful. Which is perfectly suited to Wino's latest messages, as Divine Propaganda finds him less concerned with his own spiritual quest than with the behind-the-scenes machinations governments perpetrate on their societies. "Tranquility Base," "Bellicose Rhetoric" and the title track address conspiracy theories head on, the conviction of Wino and co-conspirator Bruce Falkinburg evident with every snarling riff and pounding rhythm. Wino hasn't completely abandoned spiritual matters, however, as the groovier tracks "Sunblood," "Oamyata" and "Prayer For the Night" (based on Mayan verse) make evident. For the most part, though, Divine Propaganda seethes with anger, as the band rails against the covert influence of government, media and business on the well-being of the citizens those organizations claim to serve. Wino's six-string magic makes the social criticism go down smoothly and the spiritual philosophy pack a punch. [buy it]

Wino also contributed heavily to With Vision, the second album from former Pentagram/Death Row guitarist Victor Griffin's Place of Skulls. Like Wino, Griffin has had a lot of experience updating Black Sabbath-style metal for the modern era, and it's a pleasure to hear him playing off his compadre's talents. Both men possess gruff, edgy singing styles, glacier-thick but nimble guitar tones and songwriting acumen that is mindful of metal tradition while still pushing its boundaries. The joining of forces here is as crunchingly mighty as you might expect. Guitar lines ebb and flow like lava just at the point of cooling, as the riffs revel in Gothic atmosphere and sheer power. The rhythms rumble, but bassist Greg Turley and drummer Tim Tomaselli never let them become turgid. Griffin and Weinrich sing their songs with force and conviction, but never screech or growl. Graceful dinosaurs like "The Monster," "Long Lost Grave" and the title track stomp the landscape, but leave attractive prints behind. It's too bad Wino had to leave the band (due to having to commute from Maryland to PoS's homebase of Knoxville, TN), as this collaboration between metal icons pushes the music into fresh territory while still holding to the virtues that make it special in the first place. Michael Toland