Nick Oliveri's Uncontrollable - Leave me Alone

(CD Album Review)

*****
One of Nick's best projects yet...

Nick Oliveri is best known for his work with Kyuss, Queens of the stone Age, The Dwarves and Mondo Generator. The Uncrontrollable is his project with The Dwarves singer Blag Dahlia, which he started about five years ago. Each track on 'Leave me Alone' seems to have a famous friend of Nick's on it, making this a very special album to check out. Maybe one of your favourite people are on it and their is a gem you have not heard yet.

Photo by Eader Photography

The first track 'Human cannonball Explodes' featuring Dean Ween (Ween) is a great Punk Rock / Blues / Stoner track that sounds like has been lifted straight off a Turbonegro record. You can hear what influence that Blag has brought to the song because it has that Dwarves feel to it in places. You really feel you know the track already and it has been around for years and I really love the over dubbed vocals that sound like they are done through a police car microphone, I guess these are provided by Dean Ween. This is a great track that I think I would play over and over again.

The next track features a long time friend of Nick's Stephen Haas who has toured with him and worked on many a project. The track is called 'Keep me in the Loop', a thing that I think that Nick has been doing to Stephen for the last few years. Making sure he was involved in some of the work he was doing. The song starts off with awesome drums, before going into chaotic Stoner guitar chords and singing that is furious and all over the place. This song reminds me a little of the work of one of my favourite bands from Belgium Vandal-X, so I really love it.

'Luv is Fiction' features Lightnin' Woodcock and Marc Diamond (The Dwarves) and has a very The Cramps meets Iggy Pop (Stooges) vibe. This songs verges on Blues / Punk and Rock all at the same and emulates these legendary artists really well, so is a real treat. I think Marc put in what he is famous for with The Dwarves with elements of his heroes to make a killer track. 'Come and you're Gone' is a track that Blag really comes into his own on, with help again from Marc Diamond and sounds like a typical Dwarves fast paced track. This song is a live track and you can just imagine going mad to at the Rebellion festival in Blackpool where I have seen The Dwarves play and make their own.

If you are going to get a legend on your album, then why no invite Phil Campbell (Motorhead). A man that really helped to invite Rock and Metal as we know it today. He adds his services to the track 'The Robot Man', a slow paced track that is full of in and out riffs and twiddly surf Esq. guitars with killer chaotic shouting on it. If your a fan of traditional Stoner think you will love this track, even though it jumps out of the Stoner bracket to Surf / Punk and even Hardcore.

Billed as featuring Rex Everything on the album (Which is apparently a moniker for Nick Oliveri when he plays with The Dwarves), adds his persona and forces to the brilliant 'Get Lost (With Me)' which is a instant classic that the Queens of the stone Age would love to have on their setlist. Yes! it's that good, Classic Stoner, Classic Rock, Classic Punk in one well put together package and strangely the production on this track and others on the album is just perfect. Not sounding over produced but not sounding too raw... it's just right. Also the sex noises near the end are classy and well put in.

The title track to the album 'Leave me Alone' which is a short instrumental sounds like it just features Nick, and is a slow track showing off some of his best skills on bass and guitar. This is more of an interlude though than a track but it puts a different contrast to the album, even though in a way is a little out of place. 'The Void' though featuring Bruno Fevery (Vista Chino / Kyuss Lives!) is a totally different thing, it's a fast places Stoner / Punk track that hints at classic elements of the Punk genre with ease and is really enjoyable to listen to.

Last track 'Death leads the Way' featuring Mike Pygmie (Invitro) is a great closer and builds things up to just bring them back down. With it's distinctive style and lyrics and even attitude. I really happy to have heard this album, and think it will be one I will listen to for years to come. I think it's one of Nick Oliveri's best projects yet, so if you are waiting for him to work with Queens of the stone Age or Mondo Generator then this is a must for you and will make the wait far more bearable.

Review by Dan Devour