Heavy Rock Weirdos Headline Hotel Utah In San Francisco
By Dave Pehling
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- In the short space of four years, San Jose heavy rock outfit Kook has risen to become one of the most interesting doom crews to emerge from the South Bay city this side of Sleep. Founded by veteran guitarist Karl Larson (who was an early member of Sleep guitarist Matt Pike's band High On Fire before they decided to strip down to a trio) and original drummer Mike Donofrio in 2015, Kook would eventually be filled out by bassist Jeff Wilson and singer Troy Aschenbrenner.
Crafting a wildly diverse sound that -- while rooted in 'the classic blues-tinged template of 70s heavy rock -- drew freely everything from '60s psychedelia to '90s alternative rock and grunge to modern doom, Kook would emerge with the group's debut album I in 2017. The opening chapter of what the band has outlined as a sprawling, conceptual sci-fi trilogy about the destruction of Earth, the recording announced Kook as a unique new voice in the Bay Area.
Playing a steady string of gigs locally along with occasional regional tours through different parts of the U.S., Kook would pick up a new drummer in Eric Wilkins (of industrial-metal outfit Klank) while building on its reputation for cathartic, crushingly heavy live performances.
For the band's latest effort, the appropriately entitled second album II, Kook makes a quantum leap forward in refining the band's idiosyncratic approach to creating sprawling doom epics (the songs mostly clock in at seven minutes or longer) that unfurl over the second chapter of their apocalyptic space saga. The band closes the night at the Hotel Utah in San Francisco Saturday, sharing the stage with fellow San Jose band, gothic garage rock act Mothers Worry and opening SF punk band Agent.
Kook with Mothers Worry and Agent
Saturday, June 29, 9 p.m. $10
Hotel Utah