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When Scott first talked to me about Clean and Sober Stoner, he brought up the band Sheavy and I nearly jumped out of my chair. We acknowledged it was the first time both of us had ever heard another human being mention the band. I think it was at the moment we both knew what the topic of my first article for Clean and Sober Stoner should be.
Background
Formed in Canada in 1993, Sheavy was originally dubbed Green Machine, after the popular Kyuss song. In fact, they started out as a cover band, performing Kyuss songs with some original material peppered in at their live shows. Ultimately, Green Machine changed their name to Sheavy because there was a band in the United States that had already claimed the Green Machine moniker (you might know them).
Sheavy went on to release over 10 albums, with vocalist Steve Hennessey being the only founding member who stayed on for the entire career of the band. Typically categorized as a doom/stoner band, Sheavy really had a knack for being able to alternate between a slow, doomy sound and more of an upbeat, desert rock feel that smacks of 90s alternative rock. That being said, Sheavy has the potential to appeal to a huge number of fans across multiple genres.
Reception
This begs the question, how were they not a more mainstream band, or at least not more popular amongst doomers? Critics of Sheavy will often claim that the band sounds too much like Black Sabbath and is unoriginal, pointing out Hennessey’s Ozzy-esque vocals. This is a common criticism of just about any doom metal frontman that sings in a higher register.
I personally think Steve Hennessey sounds more like Christian “Cristus” Linderson (vocalist for Goatess, Count Raven, and Lord Vicar to name a few). It definitely irks me that so many critics are quick to compare doom bands to Black Sabbath and then write them off. Of course virtually 100% of doom and stoner bands were influenced by Black Sabbath, but that doesn’t mean they’re all carbon copies.
Sheavy has a very good balance of doom, stoner, and desert rock sound, as I touched upon earlier. I also wonder how much factors like their band name has to do with it. “Sheavy” doesn’t really sound like a name for a doom band. Their album covers are quite plain by metal/rock standards as well; not something a metalhead would be quick to spot at a record store.
For these reasons, people may fail to give the band a fair chance. Regardless of the reason for their lack of popularity, there are some critics out there who readily admit that Sheavy is a very underrated band.
The Albums
Here, I’ll focus on the three most accessible and probably best known Sheavy albums:
Republic?, The Electric Sleep, and Celestial Hi-Fi.
Republic?
Of these three albums, Republic? reminds me most of Kyuss overall. It’s considered to
be noticeably heavier than Sheavy’s debut album. It starts out heavy right out of the gate with the song Spy vs Spy, probably the most popular song from this release. That momentum is carried on throughout the entire album. Songs like The Rook, A Phonebooth in the Middle of Nowhere, and Imitation of Christ bring that high-energy Kyuss/alternative rock sound.
That’s not to say that Republic? is completely void of the doom sound. Standing at the Edge of the World, Revenge of the Viper Three, and Stingray Part III certainly bring the doom riffs. Most of all, Moments of Silence is an instrumental track that is exceptionally slower and heavier than any other on the album. You definitely get the best of both worlds here.
The Electric Sleep
The Electric Sleep is certainly their “doomiest” release, using a lot more fuzz and
distortion on the opening track, Virtual Machine. The title track, Electric Sleep, is a great example of some bass-heavy, funky riffs. Speaking of funky and bass-heavy, Born in a Daze is my favorite track on this album. Sandwiched between the heavier songs, we have a few ballads: Incredibly folky, Velvet stands out in stark contrast to any other song on this album. Savannah is a lovely, doomy ballad on this album. There is so much emotion expressed in both the vocals and instrumentals on this song, it quite literally gave me chills.
Celestial Hi-Fi
Celestial Hi-Fi is what I would call their lighter and most “radio-friendly” album. It’s also the band’s most popular release. Songs such as What’s Up, Mr. Zero? sound like something I’d hear on alternative rock radio in the 90s (in the best way). Don’t get me wrong, though; Sheavy still brings the doom on this album. You can definitely hear it in the song , which is the heaviest song lyrically I’ve ever heard coming from Sheavy (ya know, Satan and end of the world stuff).
Strange Gods, Strange Altars is my favorite song from this album and is also Sheavy’s most-streamed song on Spotify. This song is more complex. Quite heavy instrumentally, the lyrics tackle the subject of questioning the existence of God and the afterlife, something nearly everyone can relate to. With the way Steve Hennessey sings on this track, emotion evident in his voice, I can tell this subject matter is something he’s mulled over extensively.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re a doom fan, you’re more into desert rock, or are somewhere in
between, Sheavy truly has something for everyone on every single album. If you’ve never had the pleasure of listening to this awesome band, I would strongly encourage you to check them out! Several of their albums, including the ones mentioned here, are available for download at
www.sheavy.com/albums.html to get you started!
