SCUZZY YETI ~ RUINED ..... review

Long gaps between releases seems to be coming a "thing" with bands plying their trade on the underground rock scene, ok probably nobody is going to beat Obiat's thirteen year gap between albums but five years is still a fairly long wait for a new album. The band we are speaking of is Troy, New Hampshire's Scuzzy Yeti a five piece consisting of Chris Wells (vocals); Brad Decatur (guitar); Jason Lawrence (guitar); Josh Turnbull (drums) and Wayne Munson (bass), who, in 2017, released their self-titled debut "Scuzzy Yeti" to much acclaim only to then seemingly disappear to everyone but those on their local gig circuit. The band return this year with their second album "Ruined" (Salt of the Earth Records) and its seems pretty obvious to Desert Psychlist that those five years have not been wasted by the band but spent honing not only their instrumental chops but also their song writing skills.

Things kick off with "Vortex" an in your face blues tinted metallic rocker with heavy psych undertones that routinely varies its attack in order to maximise its impact, blistering solos, riffs and rhythms framing a vocal that is powerful, soulful and sits at the grittier end of Dio-esque. "Rabbit" follows and highlights the band classic rock and metal influences with the band hitting into a groove that comes over like a hybrid coupling of Sabbath and Bad Company, heavy as a truck full of lead but at the same time possessing a certain glossy finesse. Next track "Dark Forest" throws everything from galloping NWOBHM refrains to cosmic noodling into the pot, constantly altering its direction but never to the detriment of its groove "Prime Mover" is a song that perfectly lives up to its title while "Slipstream" is a short sharp jab of stonerized heavy rock brought to a close on a wave of droning noise which then continues into the next track. "Savages" finds Scuzzy Yeti getting their doom groove on with dank reverberating guitars and growling bass, driven by thunderous percussion, the platform for another superb vocal performance. "Thrive" rounds things off and if you didn't buy into our Dio comparison earlier we think you probably will with this one, an anthemic tome with a big, big vocal that finds the bands two guitar attack really paying dividends over a backdrop of dank, perfectly executed, doomic bass and drum groove.

Big brash and loud and yet at the same time soulful stylish and majestic "Ruined" is an album that ticks both old and new school boxes, an album that draws from the well of everything that has gone before while remaining relevant to the here and now.

Check it out .... 

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