Stooge
It’s kind of tricky referring to Out of the Silent Planet as a straightforward debut album. The band had existed for a large chunk of the 80s (previously as Sneak Preview). They made some tweaks to their sound, and this album does not show a typically young band (Hell, Doug Pinnick is barely under 40 on this one). They came to these sessions ready to deliver.
“In The New Age” starts with a bit of a tacked-on intro, but develops into a rather solid rocker built around a crushing groove that would become a key aspect of their sound. “Goldilox” is a very warming power ballad, showcasing Doug Pinnick’s unique voice and Ty Tabor’s diversity on guitar.
“The Power of Love” has one heck of a memorable chorus that always gets me singing along. “Wonder” has great balance between the bright melodic and slamming heavy aspects of their sound. “Far, Far Away” has great crunchy riffing by Ty Tabor, with him and drummer Jerry Gaskil providing great harmonic vocal support throughout the song. Both men bring similar touch to “Shot of Love” and “King”, both of which made for well-chosen singles.
The weakest stuff here is probably “What Is This?” and “Visions”, but even in these cases they manage to at least have a fairly good chorus to crutch upon. It’s just too hard for these guys to mess up a chorus!!
It’s littered with some great material, but I do find the debut to be a bit uneven at times. It’s hard for me to describe. I think they have a bit more variety on subsequent releases and grow even more as songwriters, as well as having an increased sense of adventure. Regardless, I’d still consider this to be an excellent pickup as I consider each of their first 5 albums to be worth buying.