Charged

Magnet - "...They're the spookiest of the [stoner rock] bunch and perhaps the most classically psychedelic..." Mojo - "...A solid stoned groove..." Spin - 7 out of 10 - "...The '70s sense of sheer beauty is here in every groove, pushing past the shaky ballads. Aggro-rock is rarely this gorgeous..." Alternative Press - 3 out of 5 - "...Intersperses the requisite 10-car pile-up of power chords with a sensual acoustic hush, the band boost the genre's arousal quotient by supplying...subtlety." NME - 8 out of 10 - "...Without a doubt - their rockingest album...exhuming ancient psychedelic blues-rock riffs...and crossing them with the fury of the Stooges...[It's] an album that takes teh glib stoner rock soundbiote and forces strong acid on its tongue..." Q - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Their appeal lies in their way with a disciplined riff and admirable levels of patience in continuing to play music that doesn't require much innovation..."

Nebula's second true full-length album, Charged begins to reign in the previous extended jams somewhat, improving the consistency of the band's songwriting. Nebula's fusion of Blue Cheer and Mudhoney is very much intact, and Eddie Glass' limited vocal range still resembles a stoned, mellowed-out Mark Arm -- all of which means that Nebula hasn't exactly evolved into the hookiest band on the planet. But the sheer power of Nebula's riffs has never been quite as focused as it is on Charged and, what's more, the band's arrangements continue to grow more detailed, incorporating layers of acoustic guitars and trippy background effects on some tracks. So, even if Charged isn't a huge leap forward, it still represents a progression that helps explain why Nebula continues to move toward the front of the stoner rock pack. ~ Steve Huey|