from the LP Uncle Anesthesia, Epic Records, 1991Criminally underrated and probably wounded by the ‘grunge’ label which they were eventually pegged under, the Screaming Trees were never an easy band to categorize, something I admit being rather partial to: way too brash and clamoring to be considered neo-psych, but far too hazy and stoned to fit the alt-metal mold of the other grunge idols. Hailing from the sleepy mountains of central Washington state, the Trees worked really hard at sculpting their own sound, and almost their entire discography carries an instantly recognizable vibe that is theirs alone; equal parts British Invasion, mid-career Cream era psych rock, Feelies-like post-punk, and some Sabbath thrown in for good effect, all capped off by Mark Lanegan’s distinctive crooning. Their move from indie grail SST to Epic records was a risky one for a cult act, but it really served their sound well, and this LP was produced by none other than Chris Cornell (ala Soundgraden); the rhythm section flies along at breakneck speed while layers of fuzzy guitars wash over you in waves, Lanegan’s woozy delivery surprising at every turn, “…on a day so long ago, now no one can remember, there's a change, this too will pass and vanish in the haze; this is moving too far, under the skin of your sight, ocean of confusion took me back to the end of the night… transparent dreams fade in my head, in my eyes; I'm looking back for one last time…” Sandblasting psychedelic mayhem at its finest--- peyote buttons sold separately!
