Kyuss' fourth release is entitled
...And the Circus Leaves Town, and apparently it took whatever it was that made their previous release so compelling with it. The band still opts for a bottom-heavy, filling-rattling assault, but they also try to create songs that aren't really there. By containing their thundering ambitions to more bite-size (five- to six-minute) chunks, this record constantly comes up short. Tracks like
"Gloria Lewis" and
"Phototropic" never seem to get started. There are still some worthy moments.
"One Inch Man" is a heavy-boogie stomp with wah-wah guitar work from
Josh Homme, and
"Catamaran" is interesting. However, this band has proven to have a sound far too big to be contained by conventional song lengths, and it's a waste for them to try.
Kyuss' music works best when it's given room to sprawl out and unfold like on the closing
"Spaceship Landing," the track on this album that most resembles their work on
Welcome to Sky Valley.
...And the Circus Leaves Town isn't a bad record. It still bears the band's unique stamp. It's just a bit disappointing. ~ Tom Demalon
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