Emerging from Hamilton, New Zealand, in the auspicious August of 1992, Datura started as many stoner rock groups did: a heavy-lidded project worshipping at the altar of the mighty Black Sabbath. The band’s early days were filled with wandering souls, but destiny eventually locked in a power trio: Craig Williamson (bass, vocals), Brent Middlemiss (guitar), and Jon Burnside (drums).
Before the dust could settle on three long-lost cassette relics—now undoubtedly buried beneath some forgotten dune—they found themselves drawn to the studio to conjure their debut album, All Is One, in February ‘98.
The momentum was relentless, gathering mass as they drifted between sonic pilgrimage and feverish writing. By early 1999, the trio entered the studio again, unknowingly preparing their final record: Visions for the Celestial.
Scribed by Williamson and sculpted through band-wide communion, Visions For The Celestial was a star map charted in heavy fuzz, feedback, and the ghosts of long-lost civilizations. The influences were many: the cosmic highways of Hawkwind, the jazz sorcery of John Coltrane, the lysergic preaching of Monster Magnet, the sandblasted sermons of Kyuss, the opiated doom of Sleep, and the esoteric whispers of acid folk.
2025 marks a quarter-century since the original release of their sophomore and final voyage. In honor of this anniversary, Ripple Music once more unleashes Visions For The Celestial upon the world in resplendent vinyl form so that new ears may drink deep of its heavy cosmic nectar.
This rebirth finds its rightful place as the 8th chapter in Ripple Music’s “Beneath The Desert Floor” vinyl series—an arcane excavation of stoner and desert rock’s golden age, unearthing long-buried gems from the likes of Fireball Ministry, The Awesome Machine, Glitter Wizard, Witch White Canyon, Rollerball, The Sabians, and Dear Deceased.
Prepare your mind, set your soul adrift, and be ready for some classic stoner rock that will blow your mind and speakers out.
Datura rides again.
Check out Visions For The Celestial by Datura on Bandcamp here.
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