Search - Masters of Reality :: Deep in the Hole

It's 2001, not 1988...and it's great!

T.A. | South Florida | 05/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First--I love this CD. I've been into this band since the original release of the self-titled "Masters Of Reality" (1988)...the album everyone calls "The Blue Garden" (front cover artwork). I got the CD as a gift from mom--I told her to buy me "Master of Reality" (by Black Sabbath)...I got this instead. I was pleasantly surprised! It should be no surprise that this CD sounds a bit different than each of it's predescessors. I'm botherred that other reviewers balk at newer MOR, saying it's not true to it's roots like the self-titled album or "Surferbus." Well, guess what? Chris Goss is a producer first and foremost, and he mixes it up on each CD, introducing us to up-and-coming artists (Scott Wieland, Tim Harrington) and old-school & present rockers (Ginger Baker, Josh Homme, Nick Oliveri). He's done this on every CD! "the Blue Garden" was old-school because of Rick Rubin's forceful production style (look what he did to the B-Boys' "Licensed to Ill" and the Cult's "Electric"). "Surferbus" was so "old-school" because Ginger Baker was in the band--he's a high school band director in Miami, now, and he's an excellent song writer...he goes beyond the drum kit. Chris Goss, like Steve Albini, allows his guests to shine through on the CD's they appear on. The two are very similar, although their music sounds very different. Both are producers first. Every track on this CD rocks...simply put. There's an old-school rock feel to it, but it's totally 90's. Honestly, this CD sounds like it's a few years late...it's got a mid- to late- nineties feel to it. Because every songs is catchy and well-crafted, I gave it a 5. Stop comparing 2001's music to 1988's. Of Course this is different than "Surferbus"...they were written a decade apart. This band has aged wonderfully, hitting on all cylinders with this release."

Rock and roll

T.A. | 12/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here you have it folks. Real rock and roll served up by Chris Goss and some of the most creative MFers in the biz, including Josh Homme, Dave Catching, Mark Lanegan and Troy Van Leeuwen. The album simply rocks like nothing else out there. It's much more accessible than Welcome to the Western Lodge, and much heavier than Sunrise on the Sufferbus. Third Man on the Moon starts things off with a bang, A Wish for a Fish rocks and grooves even harder, and the album never lets up. It's got first-class production, layer upon layer of nasty guitars, great melodies (yeah that's right, M-E-L-O-D-I-E-S), killer harmonies, and wierd, haunting lyrics. Only Chris Goss could create an album that's so original, yet owes so much to great bands like The Beatles, Zeppelin, Yes, Floyd and Sabbath. Rock and roll is in such a sorry state right now, but if bands like Masters of Reality and Queens of the Stone Age keep making records like this, we've got nothing to worry about.Buy it and play it loud."

Great music!

delnaja | Gothenburg, Sweden | 05/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Masters Of Reality have done it again.I found this CD in the record shop and my expectations and hopes immediately jumped through the roof, partly because I got "caught in bed", so to speak, by its release. I didn't see it coming. Guess I hadn't done my homework all that well at the time... Another reason for my excitement was that I was kinda disappointed with "Western...". It didn't quite give me the shakes I'd hoped it would. It was too... weird, even for a Masters album. I may be wrong, folks, so don't grab your tomahawks just yet. I'll just have to give it another shot, I suppose.Back to Deep In The Hole. Is it a good album? Is it worth caughing up your hard-earned bucks for? In my opinion, YES!!! Man, this is probably some of the best alternative/stoner rock I've heard in some time!Well produced, and with a very cool and rocky sound, the album sets off with "Third Man On The Moon", an instant favorite. "A Wish For A Fish" is also great, but may take some time to digest/appreciate. "Counting Horses", on the other hand, hits you instantly. What a great slow-tempo piece of rock! Beautifully melodic. "Major Lance" may at first listen seem absurd, but now I wouldn't want to miss it. Next, "Scatagoria-High Noon Amsterdam-Corpus Scorpios Electrified". This is probably the part of the record that I listen to the most. This surely is the "High Noon" of the record, the best songs IMHO. Especially "Corpus.." with its doomy riffing and lyrics. "Deep In The Hole" has a great back-beat, it takes a while to get the rhythm right. When you do, it sticks! "Roof Of The Shed" is a relatively simple tune, but nevertheless impressive. And as the last track "Shotgun Son" wraps the record up pretty good. An excellent rocky tune with some good guitar work and catchy riffing.The only problem I have with this album is that you can quite easily make out the openess that Chris and John have towards the use of drugs. I think honesty is great, but because I'm not at all into drugs I find some parts, especially "High Noon...", ... well, disturbing. Which is ironic, because that song is one of the highlights on the record!!Well, I'm not going to dig any deeper into that. Instead, let me finish up by saying that this is a great alternative rock record and if you haven't experienced MOR before, here's your chance!
Don't miss it!"