Blind Melon (180 Gram Vinyl) [Import]

Blind Melon: Shannon Hoon (vocals); Thomas Rogers Stevens, Christopher Thorn (guitar); Brad Smith (bass); Glen Graham (drums). Additional personnel: Sabbi Kahn (sarangi). Recorded at London Bridge Studios, Seattle, Washington in February 1992. Given the preponderance of synthesizers and samples on contemporary radio outlets, fans of guitar bands must be feeling a little let down, when along comes a Blind Melon. BLIND MELON puts a contemporary slant on metal, blues and assorted psychedelia without sounding lost in the past. Nevertheless, their deep roots in classic FM sounds help define their appeal, not unlike that of a Pearl Jam. Vocalist Hoon howls at the moon in the best tradition of Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne and Axl Rose, while the Glen Graham-Brad Smith rhythm team moves convincingly from rock thrash ("Paper Scratcher") to funk ("Seed To A Tree") and even some country and eastern sounds ("Holyman," "Sleepyhouse"). But the heart and soul of BLIND MELON are the loose spacey exchanges between guitarists Christopher Thorn and Roger Stevens, who sound at times like the Grateful Dead paraphrasing Led Zeppelin ("Soak The Sun," "No Rain"). Blind Melon was nominated for a 1994 Grammy Award as "Best New Artist."