KANAAN

Downpour JANSEN Norwegian stoner mavericks take the scenic route. First impressions suggest that Kanaan are a fairly traditional stoner rock band. The instrumental trio’s fourth album begins with Black Time Fuzz, a blatantly post-Kyuss confection that leans heavy on the overdriven crackle of its loping riffs. But from then on, Downpour soars into the stratosphere. Hedvig Mollestad adds a scintillating solo to the heads-down space grooves of Amazon, and Kanaan generate a disorientating acid rock cyclone in response. In contrast, the title track’s mellow, skittering pulse carries things into psychedelic prog territory, simmering Mellotrons included. After the delicate interlude of Psunspot, Orbit makes a partial return to doom metal, albeit while slathering everything in Hawkwind-saluting electronic squiggles. The payoff comes on the closing, two-part Solaris. Kanaan display a gift for…