Volume – Joy Of Navigation EP

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · Published December 12, 2024 · Updated December 12, 2024

Volume is a desert rock super group of sorts that started way back in 1993. They just celebrated their 20th anniversary of 2003’s Requesting Permission to Land album. The current lineup of the band includes original member and creator, Patrick Brink (ex original vocalist of Fu Manchu) on guitar and vocals, Ed Mundell (The Ultra-Electric Mega Galactic, ex-Monster Magnet) on lead guitar, Mike Amster (Nebula, Mondo Generator) on drums, Dave Catching (Queens Of The Stone Age) on synth, and Abraham Parker on bass, acoustic / electric sitar, rhodes / piano / synth , and backing vocals. The band just released their latest album called Joy Of Navigation, which came out on November 1st 2024. The album contains five songs and is twenty nine minutes long.

“Mercury Pull” starts things off with a psychedelic number with spacy guitar noises and pulsing bass and cymbal crashes. When the vocals enter they pan from ear to ear with a spoken resonance. The music is bizarre and atmospheric at the start and kicks in heavy around the five minute mark. It gets more varied with twists of psychedelic swirls. Ed Mundell plays some fiery leads to the song which is a nine minute musical excursion. The title track “Joy Of Navigation” is next and is a more straightforward rocker with heavy pounding drumming carried about by Mike Amster. The vocals are more sung with a a little raspiness to them, courtesy of Patrick Brink. There’s a whole lot of swirling psychedelic synth sounds and guitar leads a plenty on this one. The third song “Heavy Sunshine” is a hard hitting rocker. It pounds about in heavy fashion from the get go and pummels all the way through.

“The Golden Age” is a laid back song that starts with acoustic guitar and vocals. The song is built up with a second guitar jam and then bass and drums join in. It’s a good transition from the heavy psych rock which the band expressed on the first three tracks. It separates the madness with melodies and showcases another dimension to the band. Finally, the last track kicks in to end the Joy Of Navigation. Titled “Spacebaby”, the song flexes a slower pace but carries the rock groove throughout. It has a cool bass break half way through that encompass pounding drums and powerful guitar leads. They establish a nice jam session through this part that flows back into the chorus.

Volume is good band that produced a very cool album, featuring several heavy hitters in the stoner/ desert rock community. Joy Of Navigation (A Trip Through The Eternal Unknown) is a quick listen but it does the job of satisfying the heavy psychedelic rock appetite for something new from a long standing project. This is my first time listening to Volume and I am liking what I’m hearing.