Gary Hoey--Bug Alley

Gary Hoey--Bug Alley (1996/Surfdog) Rating--7.9

A more mature and experimental offering, as the release is not only heavier and meatier in places, but also an improvement in terms of structure and talent. There's some Kenny Wayne Shepherd blues-sass moments, a few Santana phrasings, and at times the rip and tear of Saki Kaskas (if you haven't heard of him, ask me!). All of these elements are wrapped in metal, of course.
The crunching background and tooling lead of "Desire" is the album's opener, and is followed by the moving and trance-like feel of "Tribal War Babies". There is a dark and nasty cover of "Black Magic Woman," where Hoey shows off a decent set of pipes! The sassy "Bug Alley" stands out, and lighter moments include the laid-back "Peace Pipe" and the mesmerizing drums/effects of "The Green Room".
A hidden surf track is tacked onto disc's end, hearkening back to the guitarist's roots.
TRACK LIST: Desire/Tribal War Babies/Black Magic Woman/Yeah/Bug Alley/Peace Pipe/Gotta Serve Somebody/Karma Climb/Moustache Muchacho/Coasting/The Green Room

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