From the opening "Wheels of Confusion" styled mind crusher that is the mighty "Mt. Abraxas", it's instantly apparent that the latest from British retro act Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats once again takes us down Black Sabbath Avenue, with a few stops at Beatles Road for good measure. Their 2012 stunner Blood Lust was plenty of fun for those who love those heavy, doomy sounds mixed with some pop & psychedelia, and there's more of the same and then some here on Mind Control.
The booklet here is laced with all sorts of oddball '50s, '60s, and '70s imagery & photographs, so it's no surprise that the music follows suit and hits on all those eras to some extent. "Mind Crawler" and "Poison Apple" lumber along with massive Sabbath styled riffs and John Lennon inspired vocals, with the occasional trippy sound effect and catchy hook always close at hand. At times, these guys remind me of a heavier Bigelf, minus all the analog keyboards, as they have a clever way of combining the vintage crunch with cheeky lyrics and pop hooks. "Desert Ceremony" completely crushes thanks to some mountainous guitar riffs, but then the band get all gallopy and NWOBHM on us and deliver the speedy romp "Evil Love". The band almost sounds like a cross between The Move and Sgt. Pepper era Beatles on the poppy/psychedelic tracks "Death Valley Blues" and "Follow the Leader", while "Valley of the Dolls" and "Devil's Work" are classic doom in the grand tradition of early Sabbath, Pentagram, and Saint Vitus.
Psychedelia, doom, and pop make for a fun trio, and Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats have really done a great job marrying all these elements and delivering a powerful statement here with Mind Control. Along with the latest from Orchid and Kadavar, there are lots of heavy '70s sounds floating our way these days, which is a great thing.
Track Listing
1) Mt. Abraxas
2) Mind Crawler
3) Poison Apple
4) Desert Ceremony
5) Evil Love
6) Death Valley Blues
7) Follow the Leader
8) Valley of the Dolls
9) Devil's Work
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