Track #3 (of 5): Planet Desert Rock @The Usual Place, Downtown
Throttlerod impressively pile on one riff after another. (Image: Jerry Watson)
"Organic bands with no tracks!" That’s the infectious mission statement of Planet Desert Rock Weekend, smartly curated by Vegas Rock Revolution founder John Gist. For the fourth iteration of the festival—which recently took over downtown’s The Usual Place for four consecutive nights—Gist lined up an impressive 20-plus bands from America and around the world who proudly exist outside the mainstream, falling under the hard rock and "stoner rock” banners.
With international artists like The Quill (Sweden), Spaceslug (Poland), and Familiars (Canada)—along with American bands like Freedom Hawk and the Atomic Bitchwax—the event was an inspired celebration of heavy fuzztone, deep bass grooves, and indie consciousness.
The Heavy Eyes is not your average band from Tennessee. (Image: Kelly Hnot Media)
The scene was wall-to-wall people on Planet Desert Rock’s third night (Saturday) when I dropped in to see Throttlerod and The Heavy Eyes, who both elicited a rapturous audience response. Throttlerod formed over 20 years ago in Columbia, South Carolina before relocating to Richmond, Virginia. “Hey it’s been awhile…that’s OK, you got older too,” noted the lead singer in the middle of a set that was fast, skillful, and hypnotic.
Drawing on influences from Black Sabbath to Helmet, Throttlerod’s sound is an amalgam of early metal, punk, and hardcore that produced the thrilling effect of a bullet train crashing into your head and splitting it wide open. The Heavy Eyes from Tennessee create music that’s equally intense, but with a dose of psychedelia that drummed up the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It also possesses a foreboding aura that was uplifting to these ears. Bands like these don’t receive notable airplay or rule the charts, but they’re still top-shelf and essential. If you missed the event, become an expert in all things heavy by sampling the festival’s official Spotify playlist ahead of next year’s fuzztone hoedown.
