Dead Meadow- Old Growth
So about two weeks ago I placed an order with Interpunk.com for another Dead Meadow t-shirt and the newly released 2008 album 'Old Growth'. Two days later I recieved the shirt in the mail but it took another whole week and a complaint email to Interpunk.com for it to arrive. And boy howdy did I wait impatiently for my precious CD to arrive. Imust have check my mailbox three times a day and eah day passing with more and more anxiety. Well today it FINALLY arrived and I promptly stuck it in my CD player. I had heard a few demos on the myspace page as well as other websites. I was really hyped up! Well I am so very sorry to say that it was not exactly worth the wait. I feel a little betrayed by my old friends who have provided my ears with an ultra heavy onslaught of orgasmic wavelengths. I feel like this album is an extension of the pop-ish, flighty, made-for-radio tunes that plagued Feathers. Feathers was a little unsatisfying save for a few perfect jems like the re-do of Silver Door or the super spaced-out Eyeless Gaze All Eye. I felt cheated with the groomed girly tunes of Stacies Song and At Her Open Door. I was sincerely hoping that Old Growth would bring back that uber distorted facemelting drone that I came to love and desire so deeply in the earlier albums like the self titled. Now THAT was a five-star album. But there is certainly no droney drone facemelting here. I feel like the heart of Dead Meadow has be ripped out.I feel like some big recod company sat these guys down and said 'we want you to sound as much like The Black Keys and Wolfmother as possible . Mainstream doesn't want spaced-out doomy doom droney hoopla. They want a foot-tapping, easy on the ears album they can share with thier grandmothers" and they agreed. What???? WHY??? What happened to the Dead Meadow sound that sent me swaying back and forth like a disturbed child? What happened to that stuck-in-the-70's prog rockdom on the verse of psychadelic mayhem. DEAD MEADOW WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH YOURSELVES??? I have tried countless hours trying to find a band that even remotely captures the essence of Dead Meadow's earlier sound. what the hell am I supposed to do now? Sure, the album is alright for a new fan, it's alright for the radio or playing for your friends on a road trip....The first three songs sound so similar to me that I thought my CD player was skipping. Then come these light-as-a-feather numbers that sound like some kind of family friendly radio rock tune. Sure there are moments that the old sound and the old noodlely-ness are touched on, but never to the extent that I desire. Here and there I can taste a bit of the old flavor but it's kind of like eating your favorite lasagna without the sauce. it's still lasagna but it's just not what it's supposed to be. Dead Meadow, I ask you this: who are you playing for; old time devoted fans like myself or for some record producer out there who wants to make a buck? What happened to playing freaking awesome music and sticking with it. I hope to gof you guys can redeem yourselves with the next album. I will be waiting to have my fae melted.