Labels: Southern Lord
Review by: Alex Deller
S’almost weird for a career spanning the best part of three decades that doom metal grandpappy Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich hasn’t already offered up a solo album. Redressing the balance, then, is “Punctuated Equilibrium,” a ten-track wallop chock-full of heavy, blues-drenched riffing, blazing solos and the good man’s ever-mournful cries, all aided and abetted by Clutch sticksman Jean-Paul Gaster and Rezin bassist Jon Blank. For anyone who’s kept a weather eye on Wino’s projects over the last ten years (Shine, Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand…) the contents won’t come as too much of a surprise: less the straight-up Sabbath homage of his earlier days and more laidback, soulful and bluesy, embellished with the occasional lengthy (if at times clunky) instrumental passage or bout of punked-up speed. Whatever the weather, though, it’s all pretty damn fine and represents not just a poundingly reliable doom rock record but the latest development in a startling career that’s thankfully showing no signs of slowing just yet.