Nebula is one of those bands that would have fit perfectly on a concert bill with Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, or the Stooges -- circa 1973. The power trio of Eddie Glass (vocals, guitars), Ruben Romano (drums), and Mark Abshire (bass) has quietly fused a somewhat modernized but highly distinctive '70s hard rock sound all its own. Releasing Dos EPs is a smart move, combining the very limited Sun Creature EP and the scarce Meteor City split with three additional songs that groove on raunchy guitar hooks, opaque slacker vocals, and bleed-heavy drumming. Of the unreleased material, "Long Day" pegs an infectious hard-luck guitar swagger against a catchy slippery rhythm, while "Rocket" and "Bardo Airways" scream in a straightforward attack that would make any old-school AC/DC or Judas Priest fan proud. Also sounding retro-fresh are previously released rockers "Full Throttle," "Fall of Icarus," and "Rollin' My Way to Freedom," which all intertwine nicely together. "Smokin' Woman" is truly a signature piece that blisters in a fog of heavy fuzzed-out midsong riffage. Despite the presence of occasional lyrical fluff, it's the shredding musical jams that should satisfy desert rock listeners, making Dos EPs essential for Nebula collections.
© Craig Curtice /TiVo