Reviews for The Last Train to Scornsville...

The Aquarian

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll happily admit that I’m friends with these Jersey boys, that I’ve done shows with them and that I’ve been acquainted with most of the songs on their debut for well over a year now, so it’s not just like this thing popped onto my desk and I’m giving it ink because they’re a Small Stone band and I dig writing about stoner rock. I’ve seen Stu, Taj and Danny (and guitarist Paul Wiegand until he left the band after the record was done) play more shows than I can remember, and when I picked up Last Train To Scornsville in Austin at the Small Stone SXSW showcase, I happily put money down for it knowing that I was supporting both band and label. Just felt it needed to be said. With that out of the way, much of the album’s story is evident from the admittedly sparse liner notes. Phrases like “Original tracked at” and “Additional Recording & Mixing at” in the credits, not to mention two drummers (Dan Gollin and Bob Pantella) a list of engineers five people long, give the impression that perhaps the process whereby the album came about was not so freewheeling as the music recorded. And it’s true, this album was years in the making. Listening to it now, you can hear that parts were tracked in different studios—different guitar and drum sounds are evident song-by-song, and the rougher-edge guitars on “Leeds County Devil” are immediately followed by the smoother tones of the catchy-as-hell “Hey Buddy” and “She’s Yours.” Fortunately the band’s sound is just enough Southern/Skynyrd-influenced (see “Nothing In Life’s For Free”) and still stoned-out to work in either context, though with the songs next to each other as they inherently are on an album, it does lead to some choppiness. The quality of the songwriting shines through nonetheless, and though Halfway To Gone comparisons are inevitable given Lee “Stu” Stuart, Paul and Danny’s tenure in that band, they’re barely appropriate, as this really is Stu’s stepping out as a writer and a guitarist. The songs are straightforward, no-frills rock tunes and leave little to desire, particularly in terms of the guitar work. Riffs by Velcro and well-reverbed solos and leads stand out as treats on the earlier songs and become even more of a focus later on. Though a CD, Last Train is divided into “Side One” and “Side Two” in the tradition of the rock classics, and though it begins with the harmonica-infused title track—on which the band sounds perhaps most alive and strongest of all, with Taj Briggles’ bass more present in the mix and the sound fuller overall because of it—the latter half quickly morphs into the instrumental chicanery of “Yeah Part 2/Thanks For Negeven” (divided into two tracks on the CD itself but listed as one, with “Thanks” being three and a half minutes of solid feedback) “Hold Your Nose” and “Yeah Part 1,” where Stu & Co. freely explore their roots in both classic riff-based rock and modern grooves. Curious closer “The Day After” smacks of being an inside joke, as it’s basically comedown guitar nose and random tones placed for an eerie effect that, were you the guy listening to this record late at night, stoned with your headphones on, would probably provide a decent couple of minutes of freaking out. A Thousand Knives Of Fire are at their best when they’re delivering no-bullshit guitar-led rock and roll, and that’s exactly the order of the day on Last Train To Scornsville. Sonic inconsistencies aside, the songs here speak of a talent both in the writing and playing that is undeniable, and with this debut, ATKOF assert their position as one of the best rock bands in Jersey. – JJ Koczan
April 16, 2008
www.theaquarian.com

The Cutting Edge

All though they claim to be "born in the northland" as opening track "One Eyed Jack" bellows, clearly A Thousand Knives of Fire are more southern than alligator slime. Two thirds of Jersey's Halfway To Gone (HTG) including guitarist Lee Stuart and drummer Dan Gollin make up this new endeavor with backup sticksman Bob Pantella (Monster Magnet, Raging Slab), bassist Taj Briggles and second guitarist Paul Wiegand. On hiatus from HTG the guts of this band are looking for a '70s retro vehicle to feed the almighty riff demons. As the record gets going it's Nugent-meets-Skynyrd where layers of fuzz rumble under hollow body thunder. Stuart's voice, though not distinctly charismatic, gets the job done as he tells the tale of the Jersey devil in "Leeds County Devil." Funking it up is the Clutch-like thumper "Hey Buddy" that gallops head long into a Dixie-fried "She's Yours." Slowing it down is the pile driving groover "Nothing In Life's For Free" – a sonic five minute Sabbath baked masterpiece that sounds oh, so sweet fully cranked. Old school to the core, the band separates the disc into side one and side two. Side two makes a quick change into the wooly stoner "The Last Train to Scornsville," a story about an ex-con lost in hobo hell with some serious low-fi solo leads and a wicked-ass harp bleeding through. Then we drift into a sludgy doom-filled instrumental "Yeah Part 2/ Thanks For Negeven" and spaced-out feedback of "Hold Your Nose" as the listener sinks into a thick musical plasma of drone only to be saved at the last minute by the extended "Yeah Part 1." Picking up a bit of COC "The Day After" proves less experimental sticking to a bass line and allowing the guitar to embrace the melody. The harp and the occasional banshee yell add texture to the seven-minute plus instrumental. An extended "Untitled" track of noodleing, head tripping meandering and down-tuning leaves us in an ethereal quasi-meditative state. - Todd K Smith
April, 2008 Issue #65
www.cuttingedgerocks.com

Hellride Music

Anybody who thinks that A Thousand Knives of Fire are simply southern rock cliché artists or Halfway to Gone copyists obviously hasn’t listened to ‘The Last Train to Scornsville’ in its entirety. Sure ATKOF play kickass hard southern riff metal, but they go far beyond that well-mapped territory when the mood takes them, and any lover of THE RIFF (and what sane person isn’t?) would do well to check ‘em out. A Thousand Knives of Fire rises from the still-warm, permanently on hiatus corpse of New Jersey southern riff magnates Halfway to Gone, even sharing members. The only one who hasn’t made the transition is HTG bassist Lou Gorra, whom the keen-eyed will note plays a role on ‘Scornsville’ as an engineer. I swear I hear him on the disc as well, but that may be just wishful thinking…..Anyway, the Knives dudes share Halfway’s affinity for heavy southern riffing, even inserting the odd instrumental into the affair, as HTG was wont to do. The ‘Scornsville’ CD is conveniently divided into Side One and Side Two, although these designations would clearly be better suited to a vinyl release. Side One is the boozy inheritor of Halway to Gone’s dirty, stomping southern sound. Guitar teacher and fret wizard Lee Stuart really shines, and his vocals, though strained at times, are not at all shabby. Monster Magnet’s Bob Pantella plays some of the drums, and Dan Gollin gets the rest. If you think you’ve heard it before, you have. After all, heavy southern rock shares certain recognizable elements, or you’d have to call it something else, wouldn’t you? And this is heavy southern rock, make no mistake. At least the first part of it is, and A Thousand Knives of Fire isn’t afraid to just dive right in. But to these ears the most interesting part of the proceedings is Side 2, which has enough in common with Side 1 to pair nicely with it, but is much more experimental. ATKOF pushes things into a kind of riffing blues doom arena, complete with trudging tempos and the occasional scream, which bears only a passing resemblance to the Honkys and Dixie Witches of the world, who spring so readily to mind when listening to Side 1. This is the kind of tuneage that goes better with dirty narcotics than cheap beer and whiskey shooters. This is the sound of a band of excellent players forming their own identity. They ply familiar grooves, but are willing to takes risks, too. I just hope they make it to a venue within a hundred miles of this computer, because one thing’s for sure: these guys will kick monstrous booty live. -Kevin McHugh
April 21, 2008
www.hellridemusic.com

Lords Of Metal (The Netherlands)

Sometimes one may ask oneself if there are not a few too many releases in the so-called stoner scene. In the past a label like Small Stone Records could often surprise me with amazing releases of Five Horse Johnson or Novadriver but nowadays the quality of their releases is pretty inconstant. Take for instance the latest release of A Thousand Knives Of Fire with the guitar player of Halfway and former Raging Slab / Monster Magnet drummer Bob Pantella in the line up. Seldom I've heard so many cliches on one album. There is not one song that makes my heart beat faster. It's not catchy, not original and the production is very mediocre and sometimes even weak. No, this old fashioned southern stoner with poor vocals does not make you want to drink too much beer or whiskey out of sheer joy. Again a typical pub rock band from the USA who I suggest should listen to the latest album of Belgian rockers El Guapo Stuntteam just to learn how modern southern rock should sound. For now they have missed 'The Last Train To Scornsville'. Come on guys, you can do better! -Bidi
April, 2008
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/

ROCK SOUND (UK)

If The Melvins wrote "Sweet Home Alabama" it would sound like these New Jersey good-time-all-the-time rockers. Not to be pigeonholed, the Clutch-esque groove of "Hey Buddy" proves that ATKOF have other substantial, super-thick strings to their, erm, guitar-bow. -DJ
April, 2008 Issue 108
www.rock-sound.net

StonerRock.com

I suppose it's possible to keep A Thousand Knives of Fire separate from Halfway to Gone, but it won't be easy and it won't be done by me. Even though there's only one core member from Halfway (guitarist and now vocalist Lee Stuart, although drummer Danny Gollin receives credit alongside Monster Magnet's Bob Pantella), A Thousand Knives of Fire's sound is unmistakably similar to the New Jersey three-piece who once threatened, “Back of my hand/Gonna give you a fat lip.” The band may not sound as hell-bent as “Holiday in Altamont” or “Couldn't Even Find a Light,” but they're certainly just as burly and boozy as “Turnpike” or “Great American Scumbag,” with plenty of that southern-by-way-of-Jersey rock charm. And like Halfway to Gone's three releases, The Last Train to Scornsville has more than its fair share of instrumentals (as Stuart's not as strong a vocalist as Lou Gorra, that works in the band's favor). So obviously, if you liked High Five, Second Season, or Halfway to Gone, then slide on up to the bar, because The Last Train to Scornsville has pretty much the same brand of poison. You're going to get your rollicking shit kickers (“Leeds County Devil,” “She's Yours”), some groove-friendly stompers (the title track, the numerically out of order “Yeah Part 2” and “Yeah Part 1”), and some down home balladry (“Nothing in Life's for Free”). I suppose it's unfair to A Thousand Knives of Fire to say they're a fine substitute, but given the similarities, it's hard to avoid doing so (and hell, it's not like they're The Firm to Halfway's Zeppelin). Let's just say if you've got a hankering for some dirty Jersey swamp rock, get on board The Last Train to Scornsville. It's worth the trip. John Pegoraro
February 16th, 2008
www.stonerrock.com

Buy From Us Buy From iTunes

1. One Eyed Jack
2. Leeds County Devil
3. Hey Buddy
4. She's Yours
5. Nothing In Life's For Free
6. Last Train to Scornsville
7. Yeah Part 2
8. Thanks For Negeven
9. Hold Your Nose
10. Yeah Part 1
11. The Day After