It’s (censored) Live! It’s Alive!!!

Vista Chino is the band formerly known as Kyuss Live!, sans Josh Homme. After a lawsuit the band changed its name and started over on the project we now know to be Peace under the title Vista Chino. Quite the contradiction, after forming a band and dealing with a lawsuit do the same men go on to produce an album with that title. In hindsight, the extra delay the band experienced could have been what added to the overall quality, as time usually does for mastering. Percussion timing couldn’t have been more on point; the drummer almost disappears from the record, as it blends so well with the guitar melodies.

A near dramatic opening, Peace starts to tell the tale with “Good Morning Wasteland.” Empowering the listener to carry on, “Dragona Dragona” is a journey of love and rock devotion. Already, Vista Chino has won over the favor from their former selves. Peace shows a lot of growth without the abandonment of the old band. The sound is still very similar to their previous work so fans of the past need not fret. While the absence of previous band members and their contributions is notable it does not take away from the complete experience that is Peace.

“Sweet Remain” is a bitter song of lost souls in perpetual flight. It’s actually quiet beautiful in its lyrical layout. It renders images of travelers wandering through sunsets and ripping their guitar on a desert mesa. “As You Wish” is now the purest example of desert rock this humbled reviewer has heard to date.

“Adara” has an interesting presence for a base line. Compared to the other tracks, the entire song seems supported by the baseline; this is not a complaint, but a rare opportunity to hear what is usually inaudible. The album continues to impress with the relaxing “Mas Vino,” only to captivate and pull the listener from a sense of secure passageway to “Dark and Lovely,” a contradicting but equally facilitated piece.

Vista Chino’s Peace is a well-produced album with great musicianship and engineering. The top picks have to be “Barcelona” which was leaked as a teaser earlier this year for fan review, and has held up all expectations of the album entirely. After spending a long night listening to Vista Chino’s newest drop the guys bring it all to a Jazzy close with “Acidize the Gambling Moose.”

mxdwn had a chance to speak with Brant Bjork recently to chat about the new album. To dig deeper into this excellent record, read the interview here.