Josiah
Procession
Elektrohasch

As you might be able to glean from the album’s title and simple black cover, this is Josiah’s swan song, and as such it kicks off with the title track, a real slow cooker with a dopey swagger, like they’re taking that last, glorious walk out of the Holy Halls of Smoke into the fading, waiting horizon. Of course, that’s exactly what the UK trio is doing after 10 years of dedicated stoner rock service, but not intent to linger like a bunch of lazy losers, they punch it hard on “Broken Doll” and “Thirteen Scene” with the kind of groove n’ roll that ought to leave a deep, lasting impression, like getting punched in the chest by a sasquatch. Then it’s a return to theme with the next two songs, “Dying Day” and “Dead Forever,” and it really hits home that these mere mortal men are Gods when it comes to laying down boogie-fried, witchy, 70s riffs, and it sure is a shame it has to stop. They wrap up the rest of the album with a handful of killer live tracks recorded in Sweden in ’07, including “Looking at the Mountain,” “Time to Kill,” “Silas Brainchild,” “I Can’t Seem to Find It” (all from 2007′s No Time), and “Malpaso” (from 2000′s Out of the First Rays and 2002′s Josiah). Singer/guitarist Mat Bethancourt will no doubt continue on with Cherry Choke and Kings of Frog Island, and I can only believe that bassist/vocalist Sie Beasley and drummer Keith Beacom will turn out all right too, if they haven’t already. Play this one loud, brothers and sisters. So long, Josiah.

Listen to “Dying Day” from Procession!