Band : High Watt Electrocutions
Album Title : Desert Opuses
Label : Introspection Records
Distributor : ?
Release Date : 2009
Review : CD

I had been looking forward in hearing this after enjoying Night Songs (read review 21.09.2008) so much. Desert Opuses is a second solo effort written, performed and produced entirely by founding member and multi instrumentalist Ryan Settee. This recording dives even deeper into High Watt Electrocutions’ universe of sluggish tempos, bone shaking rhythms and down tuned riffing but flirting
with moments of shoegaze, kraut and ambience. This is simply not something you can play a track or two and go about your day. Desert Opuses is a demanding listen and demands you sit through the whole thing without disturbance.

On “Ode to snakecharming” and “Evilution” the eastern guitarleads are dripping all over these songs, which sees HWE expanding his sludge rock with more atmospheric Egyptian elements and heavier drone. The cool groove and laid-back vocals of "Slow march" are seriously infectious. “The ruins of the pyramids” and “Stripped ruins” are harmonica/guitar drones, that doesn't have that much rhythm in it., but the overall feel is very hypnotic and mesmerising. “Headphone opus” starts with peaceful, dreamy vocals and after a few minutes there comes the lumbering rhythm and the heavy guitars. "Tut will have his revenge" is very psychedelic, wild number with pounding drums and great farout guitarwork.. Sounds rather much like Circle caught up in a fight with Farflung. There are some differences between this latest work and Ryan’s earlier material. It is more rhythmic, for one thing, with much more noticeable drums playing louder and more insistent tribal patterns, particularly during the climaxes. 

Desert Opuses owes a lot to different influences, but the intelligent songwriting makes this an original album that improves by every succeeding listening session.. It ranks high in my list of ‘Best Albums Of 2009’.

93/100

Cosmicmasseur.