Cloud Sky is the debut from Italian stoner act Elevators to the Grateful Sky, out now on the always dependable Transubstans Records label. A four-piece band comprised of Sandro (vocals), Giorgio (lead guitar, bass, backing vocals, harmonica), Giuseppe (rhythm guitar), and Giulio (drums, percussion), Elevators to the Grateful Sky have put together a dozen groove laden, psychedelic heavy rockers here that bridge '70s, '80s, and '90s influences for a pretty solid listening experience. Vocally, Sandro could have easily come from the Seattle grunge scene, and he's paired against the mix of classic hard rock & doom riffs from Giorgio & Giuseppe, making for an interesting combination. Gotta like the inclusion of horns on the thumping "Red Mud", and "Mirador" is a brilliant slow-builder, with melodic guitar & bass lines quietly succumbing to crushing Black Sabbath inspired heavy riffs. "Handful Of Sand" delivers bombastic stoner/doom, complete with monstrous riffs and plenty of wah-wah soaked lead guitar work, and the melancholy "Stone Wall" is like a somber meeting of Alice in Chains and Down, as mournful vocals and lilting guitar patterns give way to huge doom riffs for a great dramatic effect.
If "Cloud Eye" suffers at all, it's probably from too many songs. A couple of tracks have a generic grunge sound to them ("Sirocco", "Xandergroove", and "Upside" especially), but overall this is a good album of heavy material complete with some catchy hooks and plenty of attitude.
Track Listing
01 Ridernaut
02 Sonic Bloom
03 Red Mud
04 Turn In My Head
05 Mirador
06 Handful Of Sand
07 Upside
08 Sirocco
09 The Moon Digger
10 Xandergroove
11 Cloud Eye
12 Stone Wall
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