Nebula
...to the center
Sub Pop Records
Because of the recent mainstream success of Queens of the Stone Age, the music media have aimed their blinding Mag-Lite in the direction of a happy little group of fuzzed out, groove-heavy bands that make up an unfortunately tagged musical subgenre: stoner rock. Although the low-end dirges and spaced out funkiness of Black Sabbath heavily influence the subgenre, many of these bands owe just as much to the devil-may-care punk attitudes of the Stooges and the MC5. It’s common knowledge in metal circles that all this rumbling mayhem got its start in the late eighties/early nineties when a group of four bored Southern California teenagers--who would later blossom into the gloriously transcendent Kyuss--tuned their instruments down a few steps and played all-night desert jams for their tripping friends. After four full length albums and a few appearances on compilations, Kyuss called it quits. Guitarist and main songwriter, Josh Homme (without a doubt the father of the extremely down-tuned, overdriven desert guitar groove), then founded Queens of the Stone Age. Along the way, another band of head-swirling California surfer dudes called Fu Manchu appeared on the scene, and three members of that band split to form Nebula.
Most likely in an effort to distance themselves from comparisons to Fu Manchu--whose dull preoccupation with muscle cars, customized vans, and skateboarding adds fuel to the stoner stereotype--Nebula tones down the earth rumble and turns up the punk energy. Much of the album is comparable to the spirited garage anthems of Mudhoney rather than the desert rock of Kyuss or the droning surf metal of Fu Manchu. What sets ...to the center apart from being simply a jolt of power punk are guitarist Eddie Glass’ prominent greasy licks, a few slower, meandering songs, and the occasional lyrical nod to psychedelic themes. With song titles such as “Fields of Psilocybin” and “Synthetic Dream," and an album called ...to the center, Nebula isn’t ready to pull the plug on their stoner identity just yet.
In the middle of Glass’ enthusiastic frenzy of guitar heroics, he manages to sing some lyrics in a medium to high registered, somewhat whiny voice. Honoring their influences, Nebula brings in Mark Arm of Mudhoney to sing lead on a cover of the Stooges’ “I Need Somebody.” If I hadn’t read the liner notes, I would never have been able to distinguish Glass' voice from Arm's. Influences aside, Nebula show throughout ...to the center that they can navigate the waters of an unique ocean of rock styles. “Freedom” is a good example of Nebula at their best. Drummer Ruben Romano’s rolling patterns and bassist Mark Abshire’s gallop push this mellow space junket across the skies, as Glass fills the atmosphere with a mixture of acoustic rattle and electric twang. It's within this kind of loose, understated rocker that the three-piece really shines. To his credit, Glass has enough talent as a guitarist to lead Nebula beyond the limits of basic punk song structures and repetitive low-end riffing. With the solid duo of Romano and Abshire backing him, Glass is free to explore the edges of his maverick guitar style.
A true jam band at heart, Nebula doesn’t throw many curveballs at us lyrically. Glass sings about the same Rock and Roll ideas--the freedom of the road, chemically altered journeys, frustration with relationships--that have been the bread and butter of so many bands from the sixties to today. Overemphasizing the importance of lyrical content would be missing the point of this band. As long as the lyrics blend in to the sonic landscape, and don’t distract from the music, a jam band is satisfied. What's compelling about Nebula is the ease in which they make the transition from straight ahead aggro-rock to psychedelic jams. Many bands have tried to develop this dual identity, and many have failed by fumbling with a leadfoot on the mellower tunes or not delivering enough spitfire on the harder ones. Nebula exist somewhere in the middle, tapping into their collective adrenal gland on in-your-face anthems like “Whatcha Lookin’ For,” and settling into a steady, entrancing groove on the aforementioned “Freedom” or “To The Center.” Throughout ...to the center, the three musicians feed off each other well, shifting gears without stalling, with “Easy” Eddie Glass’s guitar applying the pressure. Nebula have the ability to take their music in either of two distinct directions, but if they’re smart they’ll develop and expand on both, giving their audience the total package of big, jamming guitar rock with a twist of psychedelia. Whether you call Nebula stoner rock or garage punk, they definitely deserve an open-minded listen.
D. Cullity
1. To The Center
2. Come Down
3. Whatcha Lookin’ For
4. Clearlight
5. Freedom
6. Antigone
7. I Need Somebody
8. So Low
9. Synthetic Dream
10. Fields of Psilocybin
11. Between Time
12. You Mean Nothing