Review by Ned Raggett
On their first full-length effort, Crooked Hook build on the enjoyable promise of their debut EP, taking heavy riffage from the proto-metal late '60s/early '70s and having their own way with it. If the trio still hasn't fully emerged from being a very good reinterpreter of those past times -- as opposed to hotwiring them into something new and distinct -- they have the chops and sense of the sound needed to make the chunky, stuttering riffs of songs like "Captain" stand out, and compared to all-flash no-memory acts like Wolfmother, they actually sound like they might be in it for the long haul. Singer/guitarist Joey Maddalena has a fine ear for whipping up woozy, bloozy solos that sprawl angrily across the songs, often acting as a counterpoint to the straight-ahead chug of the rhythm section of Rick Omonte and Jason Bates instead of simply paralleling it. "Mystical Beauty" shows what can happen when all three lock into a groove, as they do on the faster instrumental break, followed by Maddalena letting fly with a solo somewhere between Leslie West's rampaging and evil acid drone. The more easygoing lope of "Deep End" and especially the slow crawl of "Raven" match the winter scenes nicely, but "Crimson Dub," the extended album closer that finds the group approaching the feeling of early Black Sabbath more strongly than ever before, is the real winner on that front, suggesting bloodstains after a murder in the snow and a victim left to die. Grim thoughts, but Crooked Hook knows how to make it entertaining.

Crooked Hook's five song EP was a super-fuzzed slab of retro-goodness – sort of like buying a vintage jacket and finding a wad of $20s in the inside pocket. If I had to make a list of under appreciated gems of 2006, the Connecticut three-piece's EP would have been in the top ten.

Hopefully that won't be the case with their follow-up, The Captain Will Be Your Guide. As with their EP, The Captain... trades in lumbering, Blue Cheer-worthy stoner blues rock. There's a casual, off-the-cuff vibe to the album, as if it was the culmination of the ultimate jam that was recorded live and presented to the world as is. Musically that works pretty damn well – check out the way "Mystical Beauty" slowly unfolds, how "Screaming Evil" just takes off with the extended guitar solo before diving back into the Sabbath riffage, or just allow yourself to be carried off by the 12-minute melancholy that's "Crimson Dub." It's total shaggy headed throwback rock (in the best sense), which makes it a bit of a shame that the vocals aren't always up to snuff.

Fans of Parchman Farm, Orange Sunshine, and Golden Pig Electric Blues Band take note. This is one for your collections. Recommended.

words were written down....
fromThasher Magazine's February 2007 in the Notes from the Underground section:

"And if I'm going to mention heavy, I better mention the Crooked Hook EP I got in the mail (from Safety Meeting Records). It looked like one of those demo cds I get that usually end up in the rubbish bin after three seconds of the first song, but wait! This one's different! I gave it a chance because the first song is titled "I Just Might Crack," so I thought it might be a Maker's cover. But what came out of the speakers was the most completely fuzzed out, psyched, acid rock. This could be the lost Blue Cheer or Mudhoney record. Spark up a doob and melt into the couch, this shit's heavy man." -Wes Lundry

also from the rough trade record shops website in london:
"our first taste of crooked hook and it's all good. they are a psyche / garage trio from connecticut who trade is a sound like a lightning strike split somewhere between dead meadow and black sabbath. ozzy looms large over this lot. five cuts of buzzing guitars, heavy drums and that mystical dark rider's soundtrack. nice."

from stonerrock.com:

"Recorded live, with only vocals added later, Connecticut's Crooked Hook is another one of those bands that effortlessly channels long past eras. In the case of this three-piece, it's the early Sabbath/Blue Cheer era of heavy, fuzz'd out blues rock. Songs like "I Just Might Crack," "Electric Friend," and "Tempting Music" bustle with stoner friendly grooves and could be used as textbook examples of the genre. What really stuck out for me was the last song, "Slow Sun," where they lay off on the distortion and come up with a melancholy vibe that makes me wish I had bought a bong last time I had the chance. Really impressive stuff."


much thanks.