The Heavy Company, "The Heavy (Please Tune In ...)"

In a nutshell: This six-song debut EP rolls out psychedelic riffs at a glacial pace. The modern classification for the Heavy Company’s approach is “stoner rock,” and the Lafayette-based trio doesn’t shy away from that hazy label. The band’s name, for instance, is abbreviated as THC.

Fan finder: Queens of the Stone Age and Monster Magnet delivered slow guitar jams to the masses. Closer to home, the Heavy Company’s kindred souls are Indianapolis-based Devil to Pay and Ohio-based Lo-Pan.

That’s a keeper: Guitarist Ian Gerber and bass player Ryan Strawsma flex an array of tones and textures on “Wormweed,” a six-minute instrumental track that percolates nicely.

Didn’t see it coming: “Black Tuesday” — a misguided stab at Southern rock — blurs the line that separates “minor-key experiment” from “painful listening experience.”

The verdict: The Heavy Company proves it can conquer Southern rock on the EP’s final track, “Caged Bird.” Gerber’s ragged vocals, however, never emerge as a strength. Fortunately, most of “The Heavy” traffics in woozy, mind-bending grooves.

Visit the band's website.