Despite being involved in the music scene for more than thirty years and having a grand slew of projects in that time to his name, it could be argued that doom legend Scott “Wino” Weinrich has never been busier than he is now. In the last two years alone he has put out two solo albums (one being an acoustic album of all things) and played a distinct role in supergroup Shrinebuilder’s debut album all while setting up a fresh foundation for the newly activated Saint Vitus.
Somewhere in that time, he has managed to start up another project in the form of Premonition 13. While this nine-track collection isn’t the first offering that this band has put out, their first true release being the Switchhouse single that came out early 2011, it does give a steady glimpse of what this new project brings to Wino’s illustrious career.
Deranged Rock ‘N’ Roller
From the first spacy moments of the opening “B.E.A.U.T.Y.,” one can tell that this isn’t necessarily meant to be a typical Wino release. In fact, it seems to have more in common with 2009’s Punctuated Equilibrium, his first solo release, than it does with Saint Vitus or The Obsessed. The sound is a bit brighter and the songs seem to be a bit more rock-oriented than usual.
Of course, there are still plenty of tropes on here that can be expected from a doom metal veteran. The tempos tend to go at a slow to mid-pace and the riffs drive just about every song, providing rhythmic poundings or borderline psychedelic drones in the expected fashions.
The album’s atmosphere is also worth noting as the bright tone and psychedelic touches do help to bring about some interesting desert imagery. Shrinebuilder’s debut had a similar feel though it was executed in a darker and much more otherworldly fashion. In short, this is an album that sounds like it’s meant to be blared when driving through the Southwestern United States in a way similar to Earth or just about anything involving Josh Homme.
The band itself manages to stay pretty solid through it all though there aren’t any particularly flashy performances to note. The dexterity in the guitar department is worth noting though there aren’t exactly too many soul-crushing riffs being spewed forth. Wino’s vocals are executed in his typical melodic sneer though they seem to be a bit rougher than usual.
Modern Man
For the most part, the songwriting on here pretty much consists of the longer, more drawn out tracks and the crunchier, riff-oriented songs. But no matter how heavy they are, just about every song on here seems to be infected with melodic flourishes and spacy drones.
Predictably enough, the slower songs are probably where the band feels the most comfortable. “B.E.A.U.T.Y.” and “Peyote Road” do a pretty good job of bookending the album as the former opens with an extended bout of feedback and the latter closes the album out with a booming drumbeat and almost gloomy guitar harmonies. “La Herchicera De La Jeringa” is also pretty smooth though one could wonder why its prelude was necessary.
But the rock-oriented tracks are where the album seems to get a bit more interesting. With its bass foundation and life-on-the-road lyics, “Deranged Rock N’ Roller” probably could’ve made a good Motorhead song if it had a bit more energy and “Clay Pigeons” features a pretty groovy main riff. “Modern Man” is also worthy of note as Wino’s only vocal contributions are the backing vocals during the chorus, leaving other guitarist Jim Karow to provide a more melodic croon.
But while the songs on here are pretty decent, it feels as though the band’s strongest songs were put out too early on Switchhouse and really could’ve strengthened this album a bit more. “Switchhouse” seems to execute a groove better than most of the songs on here and the album probably would’ve benefitted from a fast, intense track or two in the vein of “Crossthreaded.”
Hard to Say
All in all, this is a pretty decent release though not exactly an essential purchase. It has some good songs and should make a great soundtrack for your next desert adventure (Whenever that is), but it doesn’t have the monolithic feel that made his classic material or even Shrinebuilder so awesome.
If anything, this album is still recommended to connoisseurs of all things Wino and should enough to hold them over until the eagerly anticipated Saint Vitus comeback release hits the airwaves. Until then, the casual listener should probably go for the single. It has two awesome songs and is available for about two dollars on iTunes if you’d rather not go for the vinyl…
Current Highlights:
- “B.E.A.U.T.Y.”
- “Clay Pigeons”
- “Deranged Rock N’ Roller”
- “Modern Man”
- “Peyote Road”
Christopher Latta - I am the lead singer/bassist of Psychic Faith and the writer of many hard rock and heavy metal reviews
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