I heard of the mysterious Atomic # 76 from the stonerrock.com compilation and was immediately intrigued; Could this be the newly reformed Atomic Bitchwax under a new moniker? Is this an Ed Mundell solo effort? Well, I was wrong on both counts. After hearing the fuzzy, blooze based jams contained on this self titled and self-produced album, you could see how that Bitchwax connection is an easy mistake to make.

Born With No Soul and Devination waste no time in getting into some down and dirty guitar. There is that overt Black Sabbath influence, thanks to the thick, smokey riffs, but the fuzz and wah factor is above and beyond anything Sabbath has ever done. Not only that, Mauro Felipe (guitar) could easily stand on stage next to Mr. Mundell himself as the guitar frenzy on Prophecy clearly shows. Blind is similar to the intro track; with both having that uncanny knack of sucking you into the Atomic#76 whirlwind. The songs are short and to the point, all ranging between two and a half to four and a half minutes, but the energy this power trio expels could have easily quashed the Great Blackout of 2003.

100 Proof is probably the most enduring track on the disc, opting for a slower, doomier delivery and an in-your-face cowbell assault. The tones are nice and warm, especially the guitar, rolling atop the crashing drum work of Ronnie Seward. Hell, there is even a sweet little bass solo there. Believe me, this track has it all. Its so good that more and more I just find myself scrambling to hit the repeat button. Gas Hangover rocks like Action is Go Fu Manchu; and its just at the point where I think Ive got this band pegged, Mauro tosses out a killer solo and has me wondering where the fuck that came from.

If I had a complaint, it would be that the vocals sound a little thin in the mix, but in the grand scheme of things, Im sure it is all part of the Atomic#76 masterplan. Huge kudos to stonerrock.com and the work theyve done putting that compilation together - without them we probably would have never heard this high-calibre rock and roll band. Check the Atomic#76 website for ordering info. This is a kickass disc that you cant help but like guaranteed.

Nick Muc / Stonerrockchick.com

Atomic Number 76. 2003. An acid trip in a Camaro-the soundtrack for a barfight-a fuzz-filled guitar jab in the 'nads. Catchy from the disc's opening, starting off with a lot of familiar melodies and choruses definitely bred of 70s rock, blended with the hooks that classify this as Perfect Drinking Meal. Methinks me hears a bit of old Ozzy-Sabbath and Thin Lizzy in the mix within the ten tracks here joining a wee-bit of Solarized or Bad Wizard, or any number of bands. It just holds that sweet vintage rock flow and classic metal energy, while almost taking on that f'n stoner rock title half of the time; doing the whole upper-downer feeling with spurts of both high-strung Southern Rock in "Bourbon Eyes" and "Blind" to slow swilling fuzzbox assault in songs like "100 Proof" and "Deviation". The whole thing is a wickedly hook-laden smooth psychedelically inclined, hearing impairing, shot slamming brouhaha. Fuckin' A, buddy-Let 'er rip. A prime party disc to say the least, and no shit, considering that the bassist/vocalist, Bingo is one of the ones responsible for many of my own post-party hangovers. You go drink under his bar-watch at Flying Burrito Brothers in Manhattan and tell me you can remember what happened the next day. Atomic Number 76.

Dave Brenner | Metal Maniacs

Dopo un minicd desordio che ci aveva ampiamente convinto, tornano alla ribalta gli Atomic Number 76, power trio americano finalmente giunto alla prima prova sulla lunga distanza. Quanto di buono fatto apprezzare in precedenza viene ora confermato ed ampliato in questo cd autoprodotto di dieci tracce: il roboante hard rock di stampo 70 che Bingo Sinatra (basso e voce), Mauro Felipe (chitarra) e Ronnie Steward (batteria) elaborano si pone al crocevia tra tentazioni di stampo Grand Funk, Blue Cheer e Pink Fairies e modernizzazioni stoner care a gruppi come Drunk Horse o The Quill. 


Oltre alle già apprezzate Born with no soul e Bourbon eyes, sorprende la vena oscura che permea pezzi come Prophecy (autentico atto di divinazione nei confronti dei Pentagram) e la sabbathiana 100 Proof. Ritmiche corpose, riff marmorei e wah-wah a go-go sono lessenza di questi indemoniati newyorkesi, sempre in bilico tra groove selvaggio e brillanti passaggi armoniosi. Una proposta che piace proprio perché pur non inventando nulla di nuovo esce allo scoperto dura e pura, senza compromessi o concessioni, figlia dellunderground più sommerso.


Daltronde è solo da un sound che si richiama esplicitamente al passato che potevano venire fuori bordate quali Devination e Gas hangover, vulcani in eruzione da sparare a mille alla guida di un bolide lungo assolate highway. Insomma, è il classico immaginario stoned a fare di questa band un piccolo baluardo, lontano da tentazioni commerciali e fedele alla propria linea. Tanto è vero che manifesto programmatico degli Atomic Number 76 potrebbe essere benissimo la conclusiva Alkihol, traccia esaltante che mette in mostra perizia tecnica sopraffina, furia elettrica, melodie beatlesiane e soprattutto tanta voglia di divertirsiin parole povere ciò che ci vorrebbe per tutti coloro perennemente alla ricerca di novità ed esasperate innovazioni cervellotiche. 
Rock on! 

Living Rain

Osmium or simply "Os" is the periodic table definition of Atomic Number 76. It's a hard brittle blue-gray or blue-black metallic element that is one of the platinum metals. It's also the heaviest metal known - a fitting name for this New York City trio. A two-track teaser, this demo is brutally unfair to the listener who, after nine short minutes is begging for more. Blaring into a monster riff, the three-piece go for the throat with "Born With No Soul." The song is a lethal powerhouse with a classic a Blue Öyster Cult stoner vibe - full on sludge complete with cowbell. It all comes together with griping vocals and louder than hell guitars over a sea of chug. The first solo is clean, the second is fuzzed out with wawa distortion. Second track, "Bourbon Eyes," goes right for a Fu Manchu rapid-fire hook. Fueled by a roasting drive the song slows to a mind-numbing, psychedelic buzz. That's when a space jam via Uli Jon Roth (early Scorpions) drifts in before the song winds up to it's frantic conclusion. The band's web site is a bit sketchy - however, this is what we've learned so far. The band consists of Bingo (bass, vocals), Mauro (guitar) and Ronnie (drum). They've been together a little over a year and are regular on the New York circuit. They'll be playing CBGB's May 18th. These boys have all the right elements they just need about ten more songs of similar caliber to take the world by storm. Recommended.

Stonerrock.com

Atomic #76 took their name from Atomic Metal Number 76, which happens to be the heaviest metal known to man. I guess that tells you something about this NYC band, but it hardly describes the classic metal sound they manage to pull off. The hooks are indeed heavy and memorable in the way that Led Zeppelins were not that they sound like that band or exactly like any other from that era. But they do have that familiar, old school sound that you can just groove to in a head-banging kind of way. In a trio, all this relies greatly on the expertise of the individual members - drummer Ronnie Seward, guitarist Mauro Felipe and bassist/singer Bingo Sanatra. When I caught a recent show, all three were ably pulling their weight. And heavy it was. Felipes extended solos were extraordinary, while Bingos bass was heavier than dirt and complimented his gritty voice which brings to mind Leslie West in his prime and Seward not only held it all together, but added thunderous fills that managed to both showcase his talent and fatten up the bands sound considerably. A power trio in the classic sense of the phrase.

- MS, NEON Magazine

"Heavy, sweaty 70's styled metal with a touch of COC and Iron Maiden is a strange mix but is the best way to describe Atomic Number 76. The band is based out of New York City and has been together for one year.  These two tracks sound like they came right out of an 8-track that had been burning up in a ''73 Dodge Charger.  "Born With No Soul" sounds like something T-Rex never had the chance to write with its sludgy, psychedelic swagger. "Bourbon Eyes" ... sways into a Sabbathy sludge jam in the middle.  Bingo Sanatra's bass riffs are so brutally heavy and the guitars of Mauro Felipe are tuned down way low.  Sanatra has a smooth 70's rocker voice, and the music is as stripped down as can be without being plugged in at all."

Update 8/1/03:
Atomic Number 76 has recorded 8 more songs and now has released a 10 track demo.  "Devination" continues the Sabbath love fest while "Prophecy" sounds like Tony Iommi's long lost brother on guitar.  Mauro Felipe plays guitar as if he isin a thick, hazy cloud...of what, that is for you to decide.  The soloing he comes up with on "Blind" is wickedly twisted and as heavy as hell.  "100 Proof" calls to mind the 70's version of the Alice Cooper Band.  Closing track "Alkihol" is a nasty instrumental well-capable of fueling this beast of a band.  I do not think it will be long before Meteor City or a larger label is offering Atomic Number 76 some green.  

1HeavyMetal.com

"Tune into the psychedelic metal world of Atomic Numer 76. Big Riffs and black eyes, high octane rock with all the trimmings. Silent hand of doom sold separately."

Starr Tucker, NY Waste

"Three guys, L Ron (drums), Moe (guitar), and Bingo (bass & vox) that play what I'd call good-time stoner-rock, as opposed to the droning, more doomish variety. Check out these guys, if you're looking for some good-time rock, and wanna party til sunrise."

Ron, StonerRock.com Live Reviews