North Carolina’s ASG (which may or may not stand for All Systems Go, or Amplification of Self Gratification, or maybe a combo of the two ) is some all out southern rock psychedelic stoner metal, but in a good way. Usually when I hear a band described as southern metal my mind immediately tries to put them in the cookie cutter heavy category, because I’ve heard this description so many times before and usually when this genre term is used the band is way too dumb and aggressive for my taste. However, ASG is a different brand of southern flavored metal all together.
The first thing that makes ASG stand out from the rest of the pack is the vocals, which for me are the highlight of the band. Front-man Jason Shi’s (Guitar / Vocals) voice absolutely captivates on the opening track “Avalanche” and serves as a perfect introduction to the intelligent and original sounding assault that is about to ensue. Shi’s vocals are the perfect mix of Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses) and the epic tones of Perry Farell (you should know who he is). There’s just something about the scorching riffs and pace from ASG, paired with Shi’s vocals that make Blood Drive extremely refreshing to listen to. It’s always nice to hear a heavy band with vocals that aren’t barked or screamed.
The rest of the first half of Blood Drive continues to blaze on, up until the somber and darker introduction to track six “Blues for Bama” where ASG does a complete turnaround. Shi’s vocals also create a nice change of pace on this track with a throaty almost folk tinged style, then out of nowhere the band explodes back into their aerial assault with some blistering riffs, pummeling rhythm section, and epic guitar solos. The later half of the album continues on with even more of the same deep fried excellence.
Admittedly, I am new to the sounds of ASG; but discovering this band has restored my faith in southern-type heavy rock music. For awhile it seemed like almost every band coming out with a southern influenced sound was hell bent on sounding as aggressive and distorted as possible. The difference with ASG is they still keep all the aggressive stoner riffs, but the band is smarter about it and expands further out into what this genre has to offer. First with Shi’s vocals and secondly with their open airy sound. This band has a soaring quality to them and when they do come back down, like on the the final track “Good Enough to Eat” it doesn’t seem forced and Shi’s ability to mellow his vocals out once again is another welcomed element. These changes of pace on Blood Drive give it a bit of 90’s grunge feel to it and for me makes my connection to ASG a lot stronger.
All 12 tracks on Blood Drive are entertaining from start to finish and they create the perfect concoction of heaviness, psychedelia, and introspective originality to make them a band I am happy to adopt into my family of favorites. Blood Drive also includes in my mind some of the more beautiful and colorful album art to come out all year, which ads to their vibe of smart heaviness. Now I just need to do my homework and become an expert on their back catalog. ASG, you have earned yourself another devoted fan.