Tummler

You're definitely a Blade Runner fan if you recognised that this album title was the chess move made by J.R. Sebastian (prompted by Roy Batty) that got the attention of Eldon Tyrell in that pivotal scene of the movie. (Well, it was originally a chess move made by HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey; apparently Ridley Scott was a big Kubrick fan.) And with bountiful 2001 artwork, how could Tummler not be cool? Scratch the surface of this stoner band, though, and you'll find more than simple angst from living in the Chicago 'burbs. Kids from Cicero, Urbana and Champaign (Tummler's hometown) often have something to prove, and Tummler does so in giant sweeps of destructo-doom, you know, death by dirge. After an intro of garbled, inner-space transmissions, "Armadillo" (and later "Lifelike" and "Nitrous Girl") settles into the deep, Electric Wizard-inspired groove gouged by Dr. Hill's bass. The primordial Sleep-spawned behemoth awakens in "Soul Driver," while "Blatant Disregard For The Untamed Void" shuffles along with shimmery, Kyuss-like echo effects and guitarist Brad Buldak's throaty tenor (somewhere between John Garcia and Gregg Allman), ending with ten minutes of ominous Kraftwerk-meets-"Quake III Arena" sounds. Tummler's key to continuing their coolness trend: naming their next album Bishop To King VII. Checkmate, baby.