Kingcrimsonprog Five Horse Johnson are an Ohio based Blues band who appeal to fans of Stoner Rock and Classic Rock, due to their similar outlook, attitude and production styles.

The No.6 Dance was the band's fourth full-length studio album and was something of a minor breakthrough for the band back when it was released in 2000, and the Mountain referencing track ‘Mississippi King’ was featured in several notable videogame soundtracks.

No.6 Dance is an album that you can just stick on from beginning to end, have a good time and not have to skip anything. The whole thing flows together very well, from the punchy start to the fourteen minute slow-blues closer ‘Odella,’ with no weak tracks and no filler. This is the sort of album you can just keep on listening to, it’s pretty difficult not to fall in love with tracks like ‘Spillin Fire’ or ‘Swallow The World.’

As an album, it is fairly straightforward and bluesy when compared to the two albums which would follow it, those albums incorporated a little more of a Stoner Rock influence into the sound after the band became more associated with bands like Clutch, Halfway To Gone and Sixty Watt Shaman. There are still some moments of that stylistic mixture here however, such as on the superb and catchy ‘Lollipop’ and ‘Buzzard Luck.’

It is difficult to articulate the band’s sound correctly but what my favourite description is, is getting you to imagine what a Stoner Rock band would sound like if they had never heard any Black Sabbath, but had owned a lot of classic Blues Records.

If you like slide guitar, harmonica/harp and Bonham influenced drum grooves then you are in for a good time when you pick up a copy of this album. The vocals purr with a wonderful infectious attitude. The production job is warm and the mix is spacious, furthering the Classic Rock similarities.

Overall, I would highly recommend The No.6 Dance and by extension Five Horse Johnson to anyone with an interest in any form of Rock, Metal or whatever. If you want a good earthy band playing music with feeling, give them a shot.

Kingcrimsonprog Five Horse Johnson are an American Blues band from Toledo, Ohio who’s Classic Rock meets Blues direction makes them appealing to fans of Stoner Rock. The Mystery Spot was the band’s sixth full-length studio album and was released in 2006, making it the last release they would put out before going on a temporary hiatus.

If you are a fan of Clutch (especially their four most recent albums) then Five Horse Johnson are a band you are going to want to check out anyway, they share some sonic similarities and have toured and collaborated with each other on numerous occasions, as well as with similar artists.

This album actually features Clutch’s J.P Gastor behind the drum kit making this album in particular share a ‘feel’ with the Maryland based Stoner band. Gastor’s brilliant, understated Bonham influenced drumming style is utterly fantastic, and is hugely impressive without being flashy.

Although it does serve a great incentive to get people interested, there is actually a lot more to the band than just easy comparisons with bands like Clutch and Sixty Watt Shaman, or indeed with their influences like ZZ Top, Mountain, Blackfoot etc.

The band’s sound features a lot of slide guitar, harmonica and harp (the harmonica-like one, not the stringed one) and it takes the best part of 70s rock and updates it a modern feel and spices it with earthy everyman vocals and lyrics. If you can imagine what a Stoner Rock band would sound like if they had never heard any Black Sabbath, then that is as close an approximation to their actual sound as you are likely to get.

There are a lot of great, catchy songs on this record. The whole thing flows well from beginning to end and keeps a pretty strict hold on the Blues Rock formula without becoming dull. Highlights including ‘Ten-Cent Dynamite,’ ‘… Of Ditch Diggers And Drowning Men,’ and ‘Three Hearts’ all of which are of the highest quality not only within the confines of the record, but in the band’s entire repertoire!

Overall, I would highly recommend Five Horse Johnson to anyone with an interest in Classic Rock or Stoner Rock… or indeed to most people with an interest in The Blues. Five Horse Johnson are a very enjoyable and hugely underrated band, who make a consistent stream of high quality music. Any of their albums would make a fine addition to your collection, and The Mystery Spot is no exception.

Kingcrimsonprog Five Horse Johnson are an American Rock band, delivering a sound not dissimilar to Stoner Rock only a bit brighter and with much more Blues in the sound, and with less immediate Black Sabbath influence than bands like Sleep or Electric Wizard have.

Their fifth album, The Last Men On Earth was released in 2003 and is a great example of what the band are about.

The absolute highlight of the album for me has to be the second track, `Cherry Red,’ which I would recommend you to listen to if you are unsure about whether or not to pick up the album. Other strong moments include the swaggering bluesy ‘Soul Digger,’ and the enjoyable ‘Sawhill’ as well as ‘Blood Don’t Pay,’ which has a fantastic ZZ-Top feel, reminiscent of ‘Just Got Paid.’

The album has a big warm, almost analogue sound, with thumping toms, buzzing guitars, frequent harmonica and a gritty but not harsh vocal style. If any criticism had to be laid upon the album, the only real one to put forward is that it is a little repetitive and lacks any huge variety, but for one thing that’s a matter of taste and for another, the band deliver enough good time rock feeling to make up for that.

I definitely recommend this to fans of bands like Clutch, Kyuss, Sixty Watt Shaman or even Down.