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Podcast Episode
Season
Eleven
number
558
Type
Album Review
Post Date
9/21/2021

Wellwater Conspiracy

558 Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives by Wellwater Conspiracy

Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives

Label
Time Bomb Recordings
Release year
1999
Producer
Adam Kasper, Wellwater Conspiracy
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Mixing catchy garage rock, fuzzy desert rock, and psychedelic weirdness make the 1999 album by Wellwater Conspiracy a frustrating listen

Author & Special Guests

Members of Seattle's biggest bands of the 90s rock scene were often dabbling in side projects, like Temple of the Dog, Mad Season, and Brad. Matt Cameron and John McBain had previously played together in Hater, and along with Soundgarden bassist Ben Sheppard started Wellwater Conspiracy By the time they got around to album number two, Sheppard left, leaving Cameron and McBain to make the 1999's Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives, along with some friends. One of those friends is Josh Homme, not long after the end of Kyuss and just as Queens of the Stone Age is starting up, who hops on board for vocals on three tracks. Cameron tackles most of the rest, and does a nice job with some 60s-influenced garage rock tunes that wouldn't sound out of place on a Hives record. Unfortunately, the side-project nature of the band leaves room for lots of noodling and experimentation. Some good, most not, which turns what would have been a tight, rockin' record into a much more bloated affair in need of a editor.

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Songs in this episode

  • Intro - Good Pushin'
  • 13:09 - Compellor
  • 20:55 - Right Of Left Field
  • 23:38 - B.O.U.
  • 28:07 - Van Vanishing
  • Outro - Red Light Green Light

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Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives