...And the Circus Leaves Town [LP]

Kyuss: John Garcia (vocals); Josh Homme (guitar); Scott Reeder (bass); Alfredo Hernandez (drums).
Additional personnel: Madman Of Encino (background vocals).
Kyuss' fourth album, 1995's ...And the Circus Leaves Town is a rather uneven affair, and certainly a disappointment after the brilliance of the band's previous efforts. With the exception of the manic "El Rodeo" and the relentless "Tangy Zizzle" (probably the album's best songs), most of the tracks lack the fierce intensity and clever combination of light/heavy dynamics for which the band had become known. Instead, Kyuss often choose to simply lock onto a groove and ride it out in unspectacular fashion until the song's conclusion. Though the strategy seems to work on "Gloria Lewis," "Size Queen," and "Phototropic," the whole thing breaks down on the 11-minute closer "Spaceship Landing," which, after showing great promise with a massive drum beat and two minutes of first-rate thrashing, inexplicably lapses into a seemingly interminable plod. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia