7 Stones

7 STONES

(Motorburbia)

Immediately obvious from opener "Bottled Inspiration" is that Austin's veteran hard rock act 7 Stones knows its way around the studio. The tune opens with vocals recorded over the phone, then turns into an angular, upstroke rock anthem about the double-edged sword of recreationals. Part of the studio success goes to Eric Johnson, who co-produced the third release from this local quartet of drums, vocals, guitars, and bass. This opening cut is melodic and energetic, to be sure, but seemingly not much more. Until you open up the volume that is, because these 10 tracks are meant to be played resoundingly. It's here, in the intimacy of the upper decibels, that singer Ray Prim's subtle vocal inflections and harmonies -- not unlike Ben Harper -- come alive, as they do in the existential "Take Advantage." Same too for the riff-ready head-bopper "Everything," a cut that could easily come from a King's X set list, "Da Skinny" which begins with a heavy 'n' unholy intro, and "Sweet Surrender," which would fit snuggly in KLBJ's playlist. While the lyrical topics range from interpersonal rejection ("I'll Never Get It") to the cult of personality ("Tainted Saints"), the music unfortunately doesn't reflect this variety, with some tunes sounding selfsame. Still, 7 Stones packs a wallop.