Album Type:
Album
Date Released:
October 07th
2014
Label:
Halo of Flies Records
Old Blood -
track listing:
1 – Seed Of
Dissent
2 – New Alliances
3 – Strongest Will
4 – Retreat
5 - Demise
Bio
Cold Blue Mountain
is a Chico, CA-based five piece combining equal parts doom, sludge,
anthemic post-metal, beards, cheap beer and bad jokes for a crushing,
pretense-free sound.
Members
Daniel Taylor
Will McGahan
Sesar Sanchez
Brandon Squyres
Adrian Hammons
Review:
Cold
Blue Mountain came to our attention back in 2013 when they released
their excellent S/T debut album that showed the band had a great
style of their own. Mixing Sludge, Doom and Stoner Metal within
fragmented songs that packed a lot of hard-rocking energy and a great
deal of creativity. Cold Blue Mountain is back with their second
album - Old Blood. It is a completely different album to their
acclaimed debut album. The Stoner Metal vibe has been replaced with a
more bleak and sombre Post-Metal affair akin to ISIS and Neurosis.
Comparing Old Blood to their debut album feels it was made by two
different bands.
Cold
Blue Mountain have transformed from Sludge/Stoner Metal tricksters to
Sludge/Post-Metal maestros unleashing a tidal wave of loud
destructive Post-Metal riffs that to drown you with. The album runs
for an emotionally charged 44 mins across five beautifully created
songs. The album has the perfect balance between quieter Post-Rock
sounds against the heavier and more destructive Sludge/Post-Metal
riffs. It may not bring anything new to the Sludge/Post-Metal world
but it does not stop - Old Blood - being one of the best Post-Metal
albums released over the last few years or so.
Lead
vocalist – Brandon - has upped his game since the last album as his
vocals have a much deeper and emotional feel. You can feel the pain
an intensity that he is putting himself through. The vocals are more
of a hardcore-based growl though he makes you care about the lyrical
content of the entire album. His vocal performance on Demise is
breathtaking. I dare you not to be moved by this track as it's one of
the albums standout tracks thanks to the vocals and the superb
atmospheric sludge instrumental work the rest of Cold Blue Mountain
throw at you with deft precision.
Cold
Blue Mountain offer a darker take on the Post-Metal genre compared to
other bands. Sure, they offer brief passages of ambient-based
post-rock though it always gives you the impression that something
more dangerous is on its way. Opening track - Seed Of Dissent -
combines intelligent lyrics with hints of dark despair that fully
pulls you into their highly volatile world. It can be uncomfortable
to listen to as the band unleashes heavy sonic waves that will leave
you in a constant state of fear and shock.
Second
track - New Alliances - is a rich musical tapestry of ambient noises,
slow paced post-rock sounds and angry atmospheric sludge metal riffs
that shows you how far the band have come since their debut album. It
is a more complex sound as Cold Blue Mountain venture into heavier
progressive metal territory. Old Blood maybe too dark, loud and angry
for some people but that is one of the albums greatest strengths. It
dares to challenge the listener with thought-provoking questions,
which there are no easy answers. Old Blood is a thrilling and intense
experience that could see the band become one of the next breakout
stars within the Sludge/Post-Metal scene in the years to come.
Excellent
and Highly Recommended.
Thanks
to Halo Of Flies for sending us a promo to review. Old Blood will be
available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl through Halo of Flies Records on 7th
October 2014.
Check
The Band From Links Below
Written
by Steve Howe
