Release Date June 11th, 2026
Format CD/LP/Digital
Genre Heavy/Stoner Rock
Origin United States
The Heavy Eyes formed in Memphis with Tripp Shumake on guitar and vocals, Wally Anderson on bass and Eric Garcia on drums. Their self titled debut was tracked in a workplace break area, giving their heavy blues and classic rock roots a stripped, homemade character. Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin supplied early reference points, though the band soon developed a more compact approach built around fuzz, groove and Southern heat. “Maera” followed in 2012 with shorter riff driven writing and a larger rhythmic attack. The first proper studio sessions came with “He Dreams Of Lions” in 2015, which also introduced guitarist Matthew Qualls.
Qualls became a permanent member in 2018 as work began on “Love Like Machines”. Those sessions were divided between New Mexico and Memphis while Shumake underwent treatment for chronic kidney disease. He completed his vocal parts despite severe fatigue, and the album arrived in 2020 as touring plans collapsed during the pandemic. A kidney transplant followed in 2022. The lineup of Shumake, Qualls, Anderson and Garcia now returns with “Focus”, the fifth studio album from a band whose history has contained long gaps, medical setbacks and very little interest in dressing up its Memphis roots.
Released through Magnetic Eye Records and Kozmik Artifactz, “Focus” contains eleven songs across forty minutes. The production places both guitars at the front, surrounding Anderson’s low bass lines and Garcia’s heavy, economical drumming with fuzzed chords, blues bends and extended lead work. Shumake’s relaxed vocal tone supplies contrast against the lower guitar register, while the choruses rely on compact melodic turns more than shouted hooks. The material reaches beyond basic stoner rock through psychedelic shading, classic hard rock scale and a few looser rhythmic turns.
Most songs remain near the three or four minute mark, preventing the central riffs from becoming bloated. The twin guitar arrangement adds color, although several solos continue after the main hook has reached its conclusion. “Focus” is a substantial return, built from heavy blues, smoky vocals and direct songwriting, with enough variation to hold its duration. It could use stricter editing in several places, though its blunt guitar work and grounded production leave a lasting mark.
|7.5
Add comment
Comments