Boris

Released in conjunction with shoegaze exploration LP Attention Please, Boris's 17th release (or 16th, depending on how you want to count it), Heavy Rocks, is a sort-of throwback to the band's early stoner rock sounds. And just to show that they aren't messing around, Heavy Rocks shares the title and cover art (substituting the orange cover for purple) of their 2002 magnum opus. Of course, because it's Boris, not every track falls within this category, as "Leak (Truth, yesnoyesnoyes)" and "GALAXIANS" openly flirt with quirky, albeit still heavy, pop rock. "Riot Sugar," featuring the Cult's Ian Ashbury on Danzig-like bellows, expertly showcases Takeshi's feedback-battling melodies. The album highlight is 12-minute-plus "Missing Pieces," which brilliantly builds up to a cacophonic spree of echo-laden fuzz, drums and baritone sax before stripping down and doing it all over again. On Heavy Rocks, Boris strive to regain their crown as kings of rumbling, churning heavy rock.