1995, Music

…And the Circus Leaves Town (1995) by Kyuss

I really like this band and I really like this sound. In fact, you might say I’m a sucker for bands who play music like this, no matter when. (I remember getting excited about Black Mountain even though they were not doing anything new.) But this is probably the weakest Kyuss album I’ve heard for a couple of reasons. I’m still giving it a too positive rating just because I really like them.

As others have noted, there’s a clear lack of quality songwriting from previous records. I guess this can be blamed on Bjork’s departure. (I don’t listen to Kyuss enough or read their credits enough to know which songs Bjork wrote. The timing is convenient, though.) But, whatever the reason, the album doesn’t have the same quality riffs or melodies as the last couple.

The other noticeable difference is that they’re just a titch less psychedelic than they used to be. (Maybe even more than a titch.) If the material was there it would not be a problem but, because the material isn’t really up to snuff, the more straightforward sound lets you hear that the material isn’t quite there. If the sound was freakier, we might miss the quality material less, right?

I like the sound overall, despite the slightly more restrained vibe. There may come a time in the future where I find something to quibble about the way they produced their records but that day is not today. You can hear everything and there is nothing that shouts “1995!!!” at me.

I still quite like it despite the lack of top material. This is a band that I thoroughly enjoy, from their riffing to their general aesthetic. It’s safe to assume I will like even subpar albums from them. (Which this probably is.) There are certain sounds and bands that I lose a little bit of my objectivity about (even to this day) and Kyuss is definitely one of those bands.

7/10

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