Sixty Watt Shaman really had me going for a while. They had me thinking that this was going to be one of the best heavy blues rock records ever, but they blew their wad. After starting magnificently, their debut record "Seed of Decades" ran out of gas in the second half, landing them in the "promising" category instead of the "Gods" category. This ain't bad for a first attempt. But as is so often the case these days, the record is just too damn long. 14 tracks clocking in at well over an hour. If it would have been 10 tracks at about 45 minutes, this would have been a better record.

Sixty Watt Shaman play a kind of southern-fried, boogie-based rough and ready metal that is becoming increasingly popular. Corrosion of Conformity is definitely a band that SWS draws inspiration from. Other comparisons can be made to Down and Soil. When these guys have their groove going, they can really cook. They have a great vocalist in Dan Kerzwich, who has a powerful, raw voice that often sounds like a hillbilly Burton Cummings. He's a real asset. Lead guitarist Joe Selby is also a find...he lets rip with some killer bluesy soloing even during the duller tracks. The line up is rounded out by Rev Jim Forrester on bass guitar, and C.J. Dukehart on drums and percussion. Well, these guys have a strong foundation to build on and the talent is there but they need a lot more discipline before they unleash a true classic on the public.

There's a lot of the 60's in his approach but the band as a whole has a modern sound due to a crisp and clear production job. My advice to Sixty Watt Shaman is to trim the fat. Lean and mean is the way for this band to go, instead of bloated and plodding.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2001 Year Book Volume 2 at  garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2001-and-2002.