SUPERSTRUCTURE - Rollerball (Rhythm Ace Records)
Is the "Stoner" tag a misnomer for a disc like this full-length debut for Brisbane's Rollerball? Putting something into a genre is just a convenient way of conveying how it sounds, but for mine "stoner" infers a commitment to pulling cones and THINKING about hi-energy music, rather than playing it. Granted, these boys do themselves no favours with titles like "Loungeroom Lifer", "Trip Party" and "Head Song", but there's lots of energy and bad manners on board. And rifferama.

If this disc doesn't establish Brisbane as the Hard Rock Hippy Capital of Australia, nothing will. There's a streak of the Coloured Balls running through some of tunes like "Daisy Chain" and "Head Song", but Rollerball are in good company 'cos even an albeit reluctant sharpie like Lobby Loyde conceded his own distinct hippy leanings. If you'll excuse a bit more Oz music back-tracking, there's also a touch of the Matt Taylors in the playful blues-harp flavoured "Highly Likely", a song that sounds like it was pulled straight out of Spring Hill and punk never happened. Likewise the acoustic-flavoured "Looking for the Moon". (And if that sounds like I'm talking out of my arse about this '70s stuff, I just recalled that Rollerball's major claim to airplay fame before now was a cover of Stevie Wright's "Evie". Even the band's name is '70s, after an ultra-violent movie. So the case rests).

This disc is about long hair and a big, heavy guitar groove. Sabbath and Soundgarden reference points abound. (I'd toss in a Queens of the Stone Age reference too, though arguably without some of the stylistic colourings that they possess). "Lifetime" has a sparse structure and vaguely '70s metal chorus and is deservedly gaining some Australian airplay. A few others ("Loungeroom Lifer", "Head Song") hover even closer to the metal, but "Superstructure" shows a band going its own way.

Singer Tenpin Boland posseses pipes (of the vocal type) that you'll sit up and take note of and Dave Tallon's guitarwork is reminiscent of that guy I can't name from Kyuss. Don't know how they work a crowd but this would be ideal festival fare.

Stoner (whatever it is) is not so much my bag, '70s metal even less so. Although tagging it as either is probably too limiting, if you're into either, you'll probably want to cock an ear in Rollerball's direction. I'll certainly give it a spin when the Monaro's in the driveway and the cold golds are chilling in the cool room. - The Barman

1/4

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