While a lot of this material may be variation on the same themes, it remains highly creative and well crafted music from a musician and writer with a lot to offer and to share. Instantly recognizable on the streets and in the bars of Richmond by his mountain man appearance, Larson is a truly unique voice in heavy rock and I would recommend taking any opportunity to hear him. 

In 2003, Erik Larson released, The Resounding, a solo record on which he played every instrument except bass and for the first time, sang every song. It was a bold move, solo albums not really being commonplace in the Stoner Rock scene which continues it's slow metamorphosis into a retro seventies rock scene. A pleasant surprise in almost every way however, from Larson's avoidance of creating a delicate singer/songwriter sounding album in favor of a hard rocking statement to his surprisingly versatile singing voice. From the classic look of the album cover to the hand claps adorning a couple of the tracks, the album presents a moment in time, although what time is not always clear. It feels old and new at times, young and old, perhaps a result of the songs being written at various times throughout the last several years. "Mine Never Was" opens the album with a heartfelt salutation and never lets up through slow rockers like "Our Voice" and the lengthy tour de force, "Hardest Thing to Write About" on which he duets with Kachina Oxendine. The alternating male and female vocals add a nice twist to the midsection of The Resounding. Pummeling tracks like "I Fee Like Ted Nugent" and "Scoliosis" keep a heavy steel-toed boot on the accelerator through the end of the disc, with "Burning Fast" acting as an Eric Gagne-like closer, just about perfect. It's a political album and a heartfelt one that probably flew under the radar for most people, but shouldn't have. 

The very next year, Larson was back with another project, the heavy, drum-based band, Axehandle, which also features two other members of ATP. Larson provides drums and vocals (where there are any) with ATP drummer Bryan Cox also supplying full time drums. Ryan Lake rounds out the lineup on guitar and bass. This is no Grateful Dead-sounding, hippy jam band style twin drumming, though. The two pounding skinsmen lay down more of a tribal sound that makes you feel more like you're about to end up in a big black pot as some native's soup than it makes you feel like Truckin'. "Face Down" is hypnotic and pulse pounding while "The Damage that Can be Done at the Ocean" is more atmospheric and creepy. They're a different sounding band, but the sounds still feels right coming from the southern metal home base of ATP. "Fine Food" adds a Texas Chainsaw Massacre like ending to the six-song album (which still clocks in at over forty minutes) with backwards vocals and an unsubtle suggestion of cannibalism. In a way, ATP made a jam band album that could eat any other so-called jam band alive. 

Axehandle and The Resounding are two very different albums by a man who obviously has many different sides to his personality, all of which he seems to be able to plug into creatively. Stoner Rock or Retro rock is still a fairly fringe genre, but with artists like Erik Larson hiding in its midst, it can't stay that way for long. Like a great restaurant that no one knows about yet, it's still tucked away at the end of the block waiting for you. Do yourself a favor and serve yourself up a slab of Richmond metal whipped up by one of its best chefs, it's fine food. 

Erik Larson - The Resounding
Label:Small Stone Records
Rating:

Track Listing:
  1. Mine Never Was 
  2. Our Voice 
  3. Rede 
  4. Make It 
  5. Hardest Thing To Write About 
  6. Of Storms 
  7. I Feel Like Ted Nugent 
  8. Happy New War 
  9. I Always End Up Being The Bad Guy 
  10. Scoliosis 
  11. Unresolved 
  12. Burning Fast 

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Axehandle  
Label:Small Stone Records
Rating:

Track Listing:
  1. Face Down 
  2. All Redheads Are Crazy 
  3. Damage That Can Be Done At The Ocean, The 
  4. Self Help 
  5. Pulp 
  6. Fine Food 
 

Preview and Purchase This CD Online
 
 

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