Maybe the members of Quest For Fire smoke a lot of pot, and maybe they don’t. What they do to fill their hours offstage and out of the studio shouldn’t really matter. Though you can’t help but wonder, considering how seamless and engulfing each of the eight tracks on Lights From Paradise are. It’s a release that is rich and textured enough to be grouped with other stoner-rock classics, though there is a consistent thump that proliferates Lights From Paradise which could probably melt the face off the most seasoned stoner. But all this talk of the green takes away from what is most endearing and memorable about Lights From Paradise: every track contains layer upon layer of thick rock and roll, making the band sound much larger than the sum of its parts.
While the sumptuous swagger of “Strange Vacation” clocks in at a lean three minutes, the patient build finds this song sounding much, much larger. “In the Place Of A Storm” readies itself with a paranoid yet forgiving fuzz and “Psychic Seasons,” in all its folk leaning-glory, could have easily found its way onto Zep III. (Alright, that’s a bit daring: it would have been a killer B-Side) These are big, swarming songs for strange times. You don’t have to be caught in a late-night haze to appreciate Lights From Paradise. You do however, need an open mind, because these are songs that stretch far and wide.
By Joshua Kloke
[Rating: 4/5]
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