Pop Reviews : Masters of Reality: Semiserious Throwbacks

Swathed in oceans of dry ice, with the fading echoes of some classical overture reverberating through the never-sounded-so-good Palace sound system, the Masters of Reality emerged on Friday as semiserious throwbacks to those kozmik daze, circa 1972.

While the Syracuse quartet’s hour-plus set rambled from stoooop-down boogies (is that ZZ Top cop a parody or a pastiche?) to almost-acoustic numbers (the trad. “John Brown”) to a drum solo (what decade is this anyway?), it was also unfocused. Too much arrogance in place of genuine persona didn’t help, either.

Yeah, this MOR outfit displays more creativity/weirdness (albeit borrowed) than the legions of Bun Jovi (or Guns N’) Poses clones currently stompin’ ‘round the elephant’s graveyard that passes for heavy metal nowadays. Nevertheless, as far as namesakes go, these particular Masters of Reality are a lot closer to the ol’ Vincent Price sci-fi flick (pretty scary, kids) than the (cough, cough) third Black Sabbath LP.