Halfway to Gone is here to bring you the rock -- stoner rock, that is. High Five is chock-full of sleazy fuzzed-out rock & roll delivered with double bass-drum madness. The guitar is what propels the music, of course, but the rhythm is tight when it needs to be, and bluesy, loose, and slinked-out when the situation calls for it. One problem that occurs with the groove hit upon is that some of the slower tracks almost topple with the weight of their own sludge. For the most part, High Five is a pretty good problem, right for stoner rock devotees or anyone who digs their music, with enough fuzz to go around. ~ Jeremy Salmon Recording information: WOM Studios, W. Long Branch, NJ (09/01/2000-09/13/2000). Halfway To Gone: Lou Gorra (vocals, bass); Lee Stuart (guitar, harmonica); Chuck Dukehart (drums). Personnel: Lou Gorra (vocals); Lee Stuart (guitar, harp).

Halfway To Gone albums. Over the course of two very promising albums, New Jersey trio Halfway to Gone quietly abandoned the mangled carcass of stoner rock (the term's sell-by-date having unquestionably expired) to find themselves standing on the edge of simple retro-rock greatness in the early 2000s. And with the release of their third, eponymous album in 2004, they appear to have arrived there. Even more than those prior efforts, Halfway to Gone manages to both maintain and fine-tune the group's diamond-edged, hard rock assault, which mashes equal doses of Southern rock, heavy metal, and good ol' blues with surprisingly fluid grace. Whoever said hard rock can't benefit from a more refined studio touch never heard groove machines like "Turnpike" and "Hammer's Fallin'" (or friggin' Back in Black...hello!?), which handily defeat many snottier, louder, brasher competitors with their expertly balanced beauty and brawn. Furthermore, their controlled, cool confidence makes it easier for full-throttle, truly buck-wild stomps like "Couldn't Even Find a Fight," and the almost Motörhead-esque "Burn 'em Down" to stand out when their turn rolls around. Conversely, Halfway to Gone are just as likely to ease right ...

Halfway To Gone music CDs. When it comes to describing Halfway to Gone's potent blend of stoner, Southern, and classic rock, the whiskey bottle-clutching 400-pound gorilla on the cover of their sophomore Second Season album really does say it all. Picking up right where their ...