In Interstelar's breathtaking 2017 release, "Resin," I hear a bit of Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Mark Lanegan, Chris Cornell/Soundgarden, Zakk Wylde, Monster Magnet, and of course, Black Sabbath. That’s a pretty 90s-heavy set of comparisons, but don’t make the mistake of pigeonholing them. This record is retro across all of the decades, and the result is timeless.

They self-identify as "Bluesy, Doomy, Stoney, Sludgey, Fuzzy, Shoegazey, Space Rock." In spite of the Monster Magnet connection and their misspelled band name, without the epic-length proggy journeys and the echoey, reverb-heavy, vastness, I don't get a strong, trippy space odyssey, Ralph McQuarrie vibe from Interstelar. It’s there, but I think they put more emphasis on the bluesy and stoney groove. I also don’t detect any hints of their L.A. origins in these songs.
This batch of songs is guaranteed to please. Plenty will love it, some will merely like it, but no one will dislike it. "Sequoia" is a breezy acoustic beauty that hearkens to Chris Cornell's best Soundgarden-adjacent tunes, resonating with the depth and longevity of its subject matter. It’s among the best on the record, but it’s kind of an outlier for their sound. What Interstelar do best are fuzzy grooves, as heard in the title track, the catchy “Hold It,” and “Opposite Daze (II).” Possibly the last must-have release on the 2017 calendar. Get it.