Karma To Burn

Karma To Burn

Karma To Burn is a US stoner rock band from Morgantown, West Virginia, formed in 1994 and active from 1994 to the present. The group plays instrumental rock rooted in stoner rock and stoner metal, and is also associated with desert rock, hard rock and metal.

Style and approach

The band is known for instrumental writing and for giving its songs numbers rather than ordinary titles. Its members describe the style as malternative. This naming approach is linked to the practical difficulties of reading setlists for a dyslexic band member.

The album Almost Heathen is widely regarded as a defining release in stoner rock, alongside Kyuss’s Welcome to Sky Valley and Monster Magnet’s Spine of God.

History

The band forms in West Virginia in 1994 and initially builds its material as heavy instrumental music. It later gains a reputation for live performance. Former Kyuss singer John Garcia is a fan and attempts to sing with the group, but he does not become a full-time member and the collaboration does not develop further.

The group disbands quietly in 2002 after bassist Rich Mullins leaves to play full time in Speedealer. It reforms on 23 February 2009 with the same line-up as at the time of the split.

Releases and collaborators

After reforming, Karma To Burn releases Appalachian Incantation, produced by Scott Reeder, formerly of Kyuss. The record remains instrumental apart from one track featuring vocals by Daniel Davies of Year Long Disaster.

The follow-up album, V, is recorded in February 2011 at Dave Grohl’s studio. It includes Davies on vocals on three songs, after which he leaves the group and the band returns to being a trio.

Members

Members associated with the group include Jim Davison, Will Mecum, Rob Oswald, Eric Clutter, Evan Devine, Jason Jarosz, Nathan Limbaugh, Rich Mullins and Chuck Nicholas. The line-up at reforming includes William Mecum, Rob Halkett and Evan Devine.

Early accounts also note the band’s original core as Dickey, William, Baka and Nicholas.