No dear readers…  this blog has not changed its focus from music to those phenomenons that are bizarre and cannot be explained…  I’m talking about Los Angeles area rock/metal trio Sasquatch, featuring the excellent Keith Gibbs on guitar and vocals along with Jason Casanova on bass and new boy Craig Riggs on drums.  Take a dash of the fuzzed out tones from Black Sabbath, the solid rock of Grand Funk Railroad, the stoner vibe/grooves of Corrosion Of Conformity or Soundgarden, and hints of psychedelia and heavy blues and you have the lethal concoction that is Sasquatch.

So just who are these guys and why are they getting a Spotlight post?  Quite a few reasons, especially if you are a fan of 70s/80s heavy rock sounds with killer vocals, solid hooks, heavy grooves, and thick and chunky riffs galore.  Sasquatch got their start in 2001 and have released five albums since (latest being Maneuvers in 2017), all chock full of fuzzy goodness that gets your head bobbing in no time.  Keith Gibbs’ midrange vocal delivery is rock solid, never straying too far high or too far low from a bluesy burr that meshes well with his tasty guitar licks.  And speaking of those guitar licks…  take the warmth of 70s era Ted Nugent mixed with Master Of Reality Tony Iommi with some hairier growl on the riff and you’ll be busting out your inner guitar hero in no time.

OK, enough about the guitar/vocals…  what about the rest of the band?  Two words…  Tight and Slammin’ (without the “g”).  The bass essentially follows the lead riff to double the thickness and intensity; not really stretching out too far from that core root but adding the occasional color (see:  “Off The Rails” from II for an example) or  boogie riff (see: “Chemical Lady” from the debut).  That said, the bass can add some heavy sonics as well depending on the type of song-  for example check out the heavy spaciness of “Pull Me Under” from III – or dance around and throw a jab a the main riff – see “Sweet Lady” from IV.  As for the drumwork?  Suitably heavy, in the pocket, and thumping with various groovy patterns depending on the mood of the song; never totally pushing the groove but content to ride shotgun with the riff and add various accents to heighten the elements of the song…  a well placed cymbal crash here or tribal stomp there.

You want some solid, meat and potatoes riff rock featuring some strong singing and excellent playing then check these guys out.  While the vibe may sound familiar and it may be a bit retro, don’t let that discourage you-  these guys play it like they mean it.  The riffs, the hooks, the overdrive, and the ROCK are all here and trust me… the songs will dig deep into your memory banks for a long time (“Pleasure To Burn”… “Get Out Of Here”…  “Rational Woman”… just to name a few).  Go support ’em live and hit them up on their website (http://www.sasquatchrock.us/) for a killer deal on all five albums to download for under $30!