Dream Weaver

Conversely, Audio Dream Sister II was "largely written in the studio," Slade explains. "I was really picky about certain things." One look at Adam Air's cover art -- with succubi apparently sharing a bong with godlike serpents in an otherworldly marijuana field (not to mention a font that mimics KISS's and a title that nods to Led Zeppelin) -- provides a pretty good indication of what you're in for on the Sisters' new album. Like Audio Dream Sister, II is built on a foundation of '70s-inspired hard rock, only with more colors and textures this time around -- including open-ended psychedelic jams, acoustic guitars, banjo and harmonica. Slade remains the voice of Audio Dream Sister, nimbly veering from silky to seething on a dime, ideally suited for this brand of hellfire rock and roll. He's also the band's primary songwriter, penning eleven of the thirteen songs on II, with Kuhn contributing (and handling lead vocals) on the remainder. The escalating, lizard-brained crunch of "El Diablo" (which bookends a surprisingly delicate change) is one of Slade's prototypes, with free-association lyrics and a jackhammer of a musical backbone. Meanwhile, "Drunk Before Noon" is a mythic-sounding acoustic number that evokes Led Zeppelin II, and the Dylanesque "My Destruction" is an intricate acoustic- and harmonica-driven piece.

Elsewhere on the disc, Kuhn's twin brainchildren -- "Devil's Daughter" and "Ride of Your Life" -- demonstrate a different songwriting sensibility, more prone to storytelling and the laconic swirl of acid rock. Ultimately, while Audio Dream Sister's specialty is loud and fast, II demonstrates a defter touch and a broader set of influences than that used by most of the group's hard-edged brethren.

"Anything to expand the palette," Kuhn offers. "It's still a rock-and-roll record, but it's much more diverse."

Speaking of expanding the palette, with Denver's I-100 making pot possession quasi-legal within city limits, maybe the end is near for the antiquated stoner-rock designation -- especially now that "smoking weed is almost like smoking freaking cigarettes," as Slade puts it.

Dreamers.