Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
KING BUFFALO, the Rochester, New York-based heavy psych-rock trio behind the recent ‘Repeater‘ EP release, is out in the U.S. supporting The Sword as we speak.
We will speak of that some more in a few minutes though, as I would rather we devote our attention to the band’s phenomenal aforementioned EP, ‘Repeater‘. It was dropped nearly two and a half months ago and I am here to tell you that this is some incredible rock and roll.
Though rock and roll it is, it is such that is laced with abundant psychedelia, and such that is pulsing with emotion. Consisting of three tracks, the introductory title number, “Repeater“, is almost an EP unto itself. With over 13 and 1/2 minutes running time, the song is an epic foray into foggy, heady acid rock.
The song breathes with a life of its very own, but not before it starts with distant minimalist nuances that slowly gather in intensity and pronouncement. The jammy increments that soon find their way into the soup are superb, eventually subsiding to allow for the trippy, relaxed vocals to begin weaving their tale. Before it is over, the song has provided quite the ethereal journey, indeed.
Forget the mellower explorations of that first track though, for “Too Little Too Late” explodes with a burst after a short intro segment. Thunderous riffs resonate as the drums strike like lightning, not in any fast or uptempo way, but with an electrifying presence. Synths bubble and ooze about and, somehow, things take on an almost primordial-like feel in this powerful instrumental.
With the arrival of the third and final song “Centurion“, a darker, somewhat somber vibe takes hold. With subtle yet surefire determination, the song ebbs and flows with cosmic rock nuances. It seems to quickly transform into a massive musical movement of grunge and hazy doom particulars. I definitely felt that I’d begun searching with my good eye closed as the greatness of the song washed about me.
Now I understand why most all of the other music press outlets are smitten as they are with KING BUFFALO – Sean McVay (Guitar and Lead Vocals), Dan Reynolds (Bass), and Scott Donaldson (Drums and Vocals) – and their ‘Repeater‘ EP. I, too, now find myself fully sold on and utterly enamored with the EP, as well.
We present you the ‘Repeater‘ EP from KING BUFFALO in the Bandcamp embed for your streaming pleasure. The link to the Bandcamp page will take you to it, but I am not sure of its availability, as it was released solely on vinyl and digitally, the LP is limited to 250 units, but you can check and see for yourself.
Meanwhile, as I mentioned above, KING BUFFALO is on the roads within the U.S. right now, as they support The Sword. The tour just launched this past week, so there are several remaining shows left to catch should you choose to. Here are the tour dates and locations:
Mar 29- Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Mar 30- Spokane, WA @ The Pin
Mar 31- Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Apr 2- Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
Apr 3- Grand Junction, CO @ The Mesa Theater
Apr 4- Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Apr 6- Lincoln, NE @ The Bourbon Theatre
Apr 7- Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
Apr 8- Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave II
Apr 9- Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
Apr 10- Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
Apr 11- Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theatre
Apr 12- Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Apr 25- New Orleans, LA @ Parish @ House of Blues
Apr 26- Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco
Apr 27- Knoxville, TN @ The International
Apr 30- Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
May 2- Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
May 3- Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
May 4- Richmond, VA @ Canal Club
May 7- Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
May 8- Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
May 10- Toronto, Canada @ The Opera House
May 11- Montreal, Canada @ Foufounes Electriques
May 12- Rochester, NY @ Anthology
May 13- Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
May 14- Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrews
May 15- Columbus, OH @ Skully’s Music Diner
May 17- Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
May 18- Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Gar N’ Grill
