Scumback do not go in for long drawn-out jamming, you are not going to find these guys laying out on an extended groove and going off on meandering tangents, Scumback's modus operandi is to hit you hard and fast then before you've collected your breath hit you again even harder. Do not however expect to be assailed with a continuous wall of unrelenting noise, there are subtleties to be found in Scumback's sonic onslaught that routinely take you by surprise such as the unexpected inclusion of a banjo on the excellent opening song "Enemy", the wailing harmonica that introduces "Southbound" and the bluesy slide guitar that opens "Pale Rider" The band are also not averse to reigning back their attack and throwing in something languid and gentle like they do with the fey and wistful "Bring Me The Ocean" but in the main "Sons of a Witch" is an album that attacks first and asks questions later full to brimming over with caustic guitar tones, pacey thunderous percussion and an array of vocal stylings that range from throat ripping and feral to clean gritty and melodic.
Tuesday 30 August 2022
SCUMBACK ~ SONS OF A WITCH ...... review
Thursday 25 August 2022
STONE NOMADS ~ FIELDS OF DOOM ..... review
Title track "Fields of Doom" opens Stone Nomads debut opus and in five minutes forty two seconds more or less tells you exactly everything you need to know about what this band bring to the table, i.e. huge rumbling riffs, crushing percussion and big vocals. The main vocal for this particular song is handled by guitarist Cosky his bear like roar is a real force of nature and his guitar playing, a mix of soaring bluesiness and metallic finger blurring shredding, is just as impressive. "Fiery Sabbath" follows and finds Cosky sharing vocal duties with bassist Sisk, Sisk's slightly cleaner, but just as huge, voice combining with Cosky's growlier tones to create raw and raucous harmonies beneath which, with considerable support from Crosby's drums, they lay down a groove that is constantly transitioning between low slow and heavy and up tempo and strident. "Primitive Rituals" sees Sisk taking the vocal lead with Cosky taking on more of a backing role, the songs groove is a little less undulating than on previous tracks and boasts a more proto-doomic dynamic with Sisk and Crosby locking in together to provide a gnarly mix of growling bottom end and thunderous percussion which Cosky then decorates with crunching power chords and screeching lead work. It's all aboard the good ship ambient for the next track "Winds of Barren Lands" a stunningly beautiful instrumental that sees Stone Nomads proving acoustic guitars can doom too. "Soul Stealer" is up next and is one of those songs that once heard will never be forgotten, a metal torch song that doesn't start out that way but becomes one thanks in part to Sisk and Cosky's emotion drenched vocal performances and Cosky's feel soaked guitar solo's that soar and swoop in and around his and Sisk's impressive vocal interplay, Crosby holding everything together with some seriously impressive drumming. Despite their tongue in cheek "sons of Sabbath" claim it is another iconic doom band that Stone Nomads doff their caps to for their closing number, the band crunching out a cover of St Vitus' "Dragon Time" and making a damn fine job of it too, their version almost eclipsing the original by ramping up the songs intensity to one more than ten and throwing in some seriously mind-blowing lead work.
© 2022 Frazer Jones
Sunday 21 August 2022
MAMMOTH VOLUME ~ THE CURSED WHO PERFORM THE LAVAGOD RITES ...... review
Another thing we could take issue with about that statement posted on the bands Bandcamp page is the use of the word "weirder", there is nothing "weird" about what these Swedes bring to the table, quirky yes, off-kilter definitely but there is nothing that sticks out as radically "weird" . Ok the band do play around with form quite a bit and they do tend to cast their nets into waters other bands might not even consider dipping their toes into but that, in our opinion, does not make them a "weird" band it makes them BRAVE band and their new release "The Cursed Who Perform The Lavagod Rites" a truly courageous album.
Saturday 20 August 2022
INFEROUS ~ DOPERIDER ...... review
Gnarly edged stoner metal shot through with elements of swirling heavy psych and decorated in ultra-cool vocal tones is what Inferous bring to the table with "Doperider" and it is a table you will want to, no you will need to, be sat at.
Friday 19 August 2022
DEER CREEK ~ MENTICIDE ..... review
Wednesday 17 August 2022
MONSTERS FLESH ~ BLACK MAGIC ..... review
Thursday 11 August 2022
MOTHERSLUG ~ BLOOD MOON BLUES ...... review
© 2022 Frazer Jones
"Blood Moon Blues" releases August 13, 2022