This band, and record, are simply difficult to describe. You take three guys, out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, all excellent musicians, with varied influences, it would seem; and throw them together to record... What we have here is the debut, self-titled album from HEAVY TRIP. It is heavy, and most assuredly a trip; more so, one definitely worth being led on.

The four songs that comprise this album are instrumental, all over seven minutes long (with "Treespinner" checking in at over thirteen minutes), and widely varied in style; from elements of early BLACK SABBATH, to free form jazz. CREAM, the sixties trio made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, also comes to mind, as does some of the early, more experimental, works of THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND; although this material is certainly much heavier than anything you will hear from those artists. The record screams "VINYL" at the top of its lungs, and is available, in a limited pressing, on a 180-gram format, courtesy of Burning World Records.

"Hand Of Shroom" opens our odyssey, with a foreboding intro leading into riff work that would make the legendary Tony Iommi stand up and take notice. There is nasty guitar work all over this seven and a half minute track, and very nice bottom end tying everything together. The song changes gears often but stays around the central theme throughout its duration. The musicianship displayed here by Jandrisch, Vibert and Horan is quite incredible, and really suggests a lot of the old masters I have already spoken of.

The journey continues with "Lunar Throne", which checks in at just over seven minutes in length. The song is more a continuation than anything else, although thematically it is an entirely different sound. More fantastic guitar work dominates the song, and the bass and drums, again, work in tandem to hold everything in check.

"Mind Leaf" is a great track, again filled with phenomenal riff work from Jandrisch. This song has a slower feel to it, and somewhat more of the jazz influence I have alluded to. Vibert's bass work is on display here, as well. He is all over this track, and while not as pronounced as the Jandrisch, he shows his capability quite nicely.

The thirteen minute "Treespinner" is a longer version of the same old song and dance. If I have any problem with this record, it is that the music can get to be a tad monotonous in spots, although the musicianship involved certainly walks us away from that pretty quickly. These guys can play their asses off, and that is the saving grace, for me.

Call it Heavy Metal, Stoner Rock...whatever. It is pretty straight ahead, great instrumental Rock N' Roll, and it is greatly appreciated by me to see people still working at it in this day and age. Tune in, turn on and HORNS UP.