LA-based Heavy Water Experiments (HWE) are a small band with a big sound comprising singer/songwriter David Melbye and Roberto Salguero, originally from El Salvador, on drums and percussion. Melbye plays 8-string bass along with a regular 4-string bass, together with keyboards.
The band name comes from a cunning Nazi plan to utilise water weight to produce a deadlier atom bomb. This ruse for world domination got name checked on a Star Trek episode and the rest is history.
The band are heavy by name and by nature, taking their cues from music in their 60s/70s vinyl archives to utilise Stoner and Classic Rock ingredients for their own explosive ends.
Melbye has been quoted as saying has “I’d like to think that our sound is genuinely original or avant-garde”. I don't doubt that he is in earnest but originality and experimentation don't strike me as the watchwords here.
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Rather, over the course of 12 tracks and one hour, we are treated to some good old fashioned Psychedelia with layers of epic swirling riffs and mellow go-with-the -flow vocals.
There's also a suprising tenderness and melodic aspect to the tunes; they may be metal-heads but they are are clearly romantics at heart.
The result is heavy but humble sound you can chill out to - a kind of poolside Prog-Rock. A fine album.
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