Article by: Leanne Ridgeway
Californian heavy rock collective BIG SCENIC NOWHERE, (with Bob Balch, Gary Arce, Tony Reed, and Bill Stinson) return this October 23rd with their brand new EP ‘Lavender Blues‘ on Heavy Psych Sounds – this time with special guests Per Wiberg, Daniel Mongrain, and Chris Goss.
BIG SCENIC NOWHERE is the ambitious project merging the massive and fuzzy riffing of Bob Balch (Fu Manchu) with the atmospheric guitar lead of Gary Arce (Yawning Man), also featuring Tony Reed on bass, vocals, synths, and guitar (Mos Generator, Stone Axe), and Bill Stinson on drums (Yawning Man).
The ensemble group was founded on Balch and Arce tossing guitar riffs and leads back and forth, piecing together song parts one movement at a time. Jamming. Sharing music. Developing a chemistry to build something new based on their individual experiences. In this way, BIG SCENIC NOWHERE is the heart of what collaboration should manifest. Something that grows stronger for the cohesion between those who make it happen. The initial result of this symbiosis was released in Fall 2019, on their debut EP ‘Dying On The Mountain‘ as part of the Blues Funeral Recordings subscriber series PostWax.
In January 2020, the collective released their debut album ‘Vision Beyond Horizon‘ on Heavy Psych Sounds, which also featured the likes of Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man), Alain Johannes (Them Crooked Vultures, Chris Cornell), Nick Oliveri (Mondo Generator, ex-Kyuss), and Thomas V. Jäger (Monolord) among others. A combination of talents and a true creative force of nature, which sum of its parts created a brand of rock that is both transcending and uplifting all at once.
Tracklist:
01. Lavender Blues
02. Blink of an Eye
03. Labyrinths Fade
This new EP ‘Lavender Blues‘ features some of the great names of the rock world: Per Wiberg (former Opeth, also Kamchatka) on synth and piano, and also Daniel Mongrain (Voivod) and Chris Goss (Masters Of Reality) on guitar. The sound once again has this mellow and psychedelic attitude, with pinches of space rock and a matrix of desert sound, but you can also hear some progressive passages and old school hard rock riffing.
All songs were mixed and mastered by Tony Reed (HeavyHead Recording Co.). The amazing cover art was designed by Max Loeffler. BIG SCENIC NOWHERE‘s new ‘Lavender Blues‘ EP is due out on October 23rd, 2020, on Heavy Psych Sounds. Get a teaser listen with a clip of the original recording tape for “Labyrinths Fade” below. The EP is now available to pre-order in the following formats:
– 20 copies Ultra Ltd. Test Press Vinyl
– 150 copies Ultra Ltd. Yellow/Purple vinyl
– 350 copies Ltd. Neon Green Vinyl
– Black Vinyl
– CD and digital
BIG SCENIC NOWHERE:
Bob Balch (Fu Manchu) – Guitar / Bass on all tracks
Gary Arce (Yawning Man) – Guitar on all tracks
Tony Reed (Mos Generator, Stone Axe) – Bass, Vocals, Synths, Guitar
Bill Stinson (Yawning Man) – Drums
Per Wiberg (Kamchatka, ex-Opeth) – Synths, Piano
Daniel Mongrain (Voivod) – Guitar
Chris Goss (Masters Of Reality) – Guitar
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