TD III-Tokes, Hatred & Caffeine is, you guessed it, the third release from Montreal instrumental stoner/desert rock ensemble Tumbleweed Dealer, a band comprised of Seb Painchaud (Guitars, Bass) and Jean-Francois Richard (Drums), with Jean-Baptiste Joubaud (Recording, Mix), Tom Waltz (Mastering), and Alexandre Goulet (Visual Director) joining in on the fun to help round everything out. Containing a dozen tracks that all pretty much seamlessly weave into each other, TD III-Tokes, Hatred & Caffeine mesmerizes from the start, the interplay of just guitar, bass, and drums creating an intoxicating stew of undulating sounds that at times recall Gentle Giant, King Crimson, Tool, Umphrey's McGee, and moe. The guys have opted to go for class over heft here on this third release, relying less on heavy riffs and more on effective use of counterpoint, which you can clearly hear on "Bongwater Creek", a tune that you would expect to be a fuzz laden crusher but instead features some amazing bass & guitar interplay that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a recent King Crimson or Stick Men album, complete with some dynamic drumming rumbling underneath. "Saloon Fight" is another majestic piece stacked with more of those tricky arrangements, a collision of prog & jam, while the band goes full on psych with the trippy sounds of "Stung Into A Blissful Coma By A Swarm Of Heroin Filled Bees". Their desert rock side comes out on the rocker "First A Staredown, Then A Shootout", one of the few tunes here where the band dial up the distortion a bit, cranking up some heavy riffs and blastbeats for a wild ride, but for the most part expect some magical, majestic tracks that twist, turn, bob, weave, and most importantly, impress, such as "The Carnage Cosmic", "Blue Crystalline Method (Minus Line O.D.)", and "Redneck Car Chase".
If you have a soft spot for instrumental music that isn't afraid to take chances, and is just as comfortable swimming in prog & jam band waters as it is stoner and psychedelia, then this latest release from Tumbleweed Dealer will be one to seek out. Intelligent music for potheads? Damn straight!
Track Listing
1.
The Carnage Cosmic 01:33
2.
Blue Crystalline Method (Minus Line O.D.) 02:16
3.
Days Gone High 03:39
4.
Widow's Weeds (From Spring To Mid-Autumn) 03:54
5.
A Slowly Moving Cloud Of Vaporized Flesh 02:25
6.
Bongwater Creek 03:45
7.
Redneck Car Chase 03:29
8.
Saloon Fight 04:08
9.
Stung Into A Blissful Coma By A Swarm Of Heroin Filled Bees 03:32
10.
Never Sober Again 02:58
11.
First A Staredown, Then A Shootout 04:07
12.
Voodoo Haze 03:36