Borracho are a stoner rock trio from Washington, D.C. who burst on the scene in 2011 with Splitting Sky, a hard rockin', heavy groovin' affair that turned plenty of heads and left everyone wanting more. Well, they are back with another platter of thick riffs and attitude titled Oculus for Strange Magic Records, and if you like heavy stoner grooves that worship the altar of Black Sabbath, Clutch, CoC, Down, Crowbar, and Fu Manchu, then you've come to the right place.
The band, Steve (Lead Guitar & Vocals), Tim (Bass), and Mario (Drums), do what they do quite well and don't seem to mind at all that much of Oculus is unoriginal and wears its influences on its sleeve. That most definitely is the point; this is a stoner rock album that pays homage to the many greats that have come across the scene since the mighty Sabbath started it all in Birmingham over 40 years ago. Tons of fat, stomp-a-licious riffs & grooves permeating this bad boy, like the plodding "Stockpile" or the doom laden "Know the Score", complete with husky, beer soaked vocals and sizzling blues based guitar solos. My favorite just might be the swampy, riff-tastic "I've Come for It All", a boiling pot of Clutch, Down, Crowbar, and Lynyrd Skynyrd if there ever was one, chock full of meaty, crushing riffs, and wah-wah solos that will have you yearning to crack open a cold one, light up a fatty, and bang thy head.
Oculus is a hell of a lot of fun, a sweaty headbanging good time, and without a doubt a CD to seek out for all the stoner/doom fans out there. I would have loved a few more songs (and let's face it, "Eye" is pretty much a waste of space), but otherwise, despite the familiar feel to much of the album, this one's a keeper.
Track Listing
1) Empty
2) Know the Score
3) Stockpile
4) Eye
5) I've Come For it All
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