Man, sometimes I really wish I could afford to pack up and move to the California desert. For almost 20 years, many of the bands who I love the most have come from that area, but I'll never have the chance to see any of them play a live show where I'm at now. Who the hell comes to Nebraska? A lot of my favorite groups won't, but sometimes their cd's will.Warts And All, the debut by Ogressa, is the latest prize possession I've greedily snatched out of my mailbox with my grubby hands. "Dali's Llama Records, Palm Springs, CA.," I'm reading on the big yellow envelope. Oh shit. I'm like a skinny, strung-out junkie fumbling with his stash I'm so excited. I wanna get this in the stereo and pumping through my veins as soon as possible.
I know...I have a problem. Admitting it is the first step, right? You wouldn't understand unless you're an addict like me because Ogressa are not just another spin-off. Some of my favorite all-star players in the game make up this rock band.
First, we have the one-and-only Zach Huskey (Dali's Llama) on guitars and some vocals and such. He wrote all the songs on Warts And All - except 1 cover - and I shouldn't have to tell anyone about the riffs commanded by his hands. Trent Ramsmeyer (Whores of Tijuana) supplies his 'spellbinding throat' on lead vocals. He's also the producer/engineer for the album. Then there's...wait for it...desert rock legend Scott Reeder (Kyuss, etc.) on bass for 3 songs. Ian Dye (Ape Has Killed Ape) is the main skin-slapper and Mike Jacobsen (Hot Beat Pussy Fiend) provides the bottom-end on most of the tracks.
"Ogressa is a heavy-sounding band and the name of Shrek's evil blue-headed stepmother. Ugly human males yelling and singing loud; rumbly low sounding doomy noise, with guitars and pounding and thudding things." according to the band. "Heavy, down-tuned rock and sludge." Sure, it's part desert-rock. It's rock music from desert, isn't it? But it's also part doom. It's part...DESERT DOOM. Yep. That's a new term for me; heard it from another music-lover a while back and I'm sure I'll be talking about it again.
"Lady Ogress", "Snake Head" and "Animal Mask" are perfect examples. They're what I would consider pure desert doom and I believe they're some of the heaviest songs by Ogressa. Think of sand turning to glass. That's what desert doom is to me. The elements can be that extreme.
It's definitely not all sludge, gloom and doom; ogres and witches, though. "Sonoran Desert" is a real place in the southwest and it's also one of my favorites on Warts And All. It's mainly acoustic and it's beautiful, just like the desert sunflowers I'm picturing in my head as I'm listening. I hear the site-seeing there can be amazing. "Rational Man" is yet another fave. It starts spooky and gloomy, but grows funky and up-tempo as hell after the first 40 seconds and I find it hard not to start shakin' my ass. Oh...piss on it. Let's boogie down.
Know something? I'm feeling a little ashamed after listening to Warts And All for days on end now. You see, I practically begged Ogressa for a copy after hearing the first 2 songs, "Give Me Some Space" and "Mange", which I've included below for you listening pleasure. The band obliged, but I shoulda forked out my hard-earned bucks because this album is a 10-track, 50-minute precious bounty of heavy rock music. I'm sorry, Ogressa. I'm making it a mission of mine to save up enough money to get at least a few more releases from Dali's Llama Records. And a t-shirt, too. Extra-large.
You can also buy Warts and All from iTunes, Amazon and CDBaby. Hell, you can probably get it most anywhere and I highly recommend that you do. I should get you a copy 'cause I didn't pay for mine, but I can't afford it right now. Seriously.
--Heddbuzz
http://ogressa.com/
http://www.dalisllamarecords.com/
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ogressa
