The Green Hour Band – The Green Hour Band (Kingdom)
The self-titled debut from Vancouver’s latest psyched out prog-rock outfit came recommended by Zulu Records, a Vancouver record shop that writes original reviews of every album they stock. Suggestions may be a detestable function of society, but considering the number of records the Green Hour Band must have had shoved down their throat, it’s possible I could be reviewing a blatant Creed rip-off had they not been so open to suggestions like Pink Floyd or Captain Beefheart.
Aesthetically, the Green Hour Band won’t move any mountains. But the prowess they’ve developed in honoring their influences (including Sabbath and the Velvet Underground at their raunchy best) shows a band that’s already mature beyond their years. The frantic stomp of “The Clocktower’s Request” sounds remarkably self-assured, highlighted by seamless transitions from verse to chorus and back again. Though this quickly becomes a rarity, this album has the frantic force of a tsunami. If nothing else, it made me realize I really ought to be drinking something else instead of a tepid glass of water.