ALBUM REVIEW: Lowrider, "Refractions"

By: Jeff Anderson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/02/2020

Label: Blues Funeral Recordings

“Refractions” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Red River

2). Ode to Ganymede

3). Sernanders Krog

4). Ol’ Mule Pepe

5). Sun Devil / M87*

6). Pipe Rider

The Review:

Finally. Finally the legendary Lowrider have returned. Not only have they returned, but they have returned with what absolutely will be a staple for them and their genre in their new album “Refractions” (out February 21st, 2020 via Blues Funeral Recordings). If the band ever says they weren't trying to make a statement that they are absolutely the kings of desert rock then I would call them liars. This record is on a mission to remind you what real desert/stoner/fuzz rock is. If for some reason you doubt that or you don't know who these Swedish giants are, let me put it to you this way: Lowrider have been the kings of desert rock since Kyuss dropped it on the floor in 1996. If you somehow missed out, I feel bad for you. However I can't entirely blame you since it's been a long, long time since Lowrider has released anything. But when they do, man is it the best and you remember why they're so loved.

“Refractions” is no different in hype as expected. Simply undeniable right out of the gate. This band knows exactly what you want in a record like this and they delivered again in a brilliant package. The whole record takes you back to the mid 90's when this was done so perfectly. Sure there are amazing bands pulling it off well today but it's very few and far between for who can make it sound like 1995. If you're a fan of this style then you know that isn't a bad thing by any means. The record is so smooth front to back. Nothing drags, nothing doesn't fit right, nothing that is not meant to be. Vocals of honey and silk, iconic fuzzed out guitars, screaming leads for days and days, some of the grooviest bass to ever be laid down, and drums that shake your soul. The record makes you feel nostalgic but hopeful for the future of the style at the same time. If this is the content others have to compete with then I cannot wait to see what others will start pulling out. Lowrider have definitely raised the bar for everyone. What a time to be a fan of this genre. All these new, young killers that have graced us within the past 10-15 years who will be greats in their own right and that I am thankful for but Lowrider are back to let you know those bands are here because of them. They almost remind me of an old lion; They'll lay dormant sometimes and not cause a stir but when they get up and make the walk again, everyone steps aside and knows who the king is.

The whole record is amazing. It's so hard to even try to pick some stand-out tracks. “Red River” is such a perfect track to open the record. It instantly puts you right back in the glory days and you can't help but smile if you love this genre like I do. It's the classic sound you love done by those who do it the best. “Ol' Mule Pepe” is so unbelievably groovy that I couldn't stop moving my head and foot from moving along with the beat. And the closing track “Pipe Rider”...man what a way to end this chapter. The tail end of this song is a final reminder that you've just been gifted something very, very special.

This record is an instant classic. Lowrider always have, and I believe will always deliver. I don't care if it takes 20 years for another one, I will be here waiting and I'm sure it'll be another monster. This record gives you everything you want and more. Its 41 minutes of absolute mastery of the craft. Complete beauty wrapped up in 6 songs. I don't know what else to say except thank you to Lowrider for the wall of fuzz that just split my face open.

“Refractions” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Black Royal, "Firebride"

By: Jeff Anderson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 14/02/2020

Label: Suicide Records

“Firebride” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Coven

2). Hail Yourself

3). Pagan Saviour

4). All Them Witches

5). 313

6). Gods of War

7). The Reverand

8). Firebride

9). For The Dead Travel Fast

The Review:

For a band that has been around since 2013, I have to admit that I hadn't heard of Black Royal until this record showed up in my e-mail. I did some research and couldn't find a whole lot about the band to be honest, but I thought this might be a good thing because I can let the band's music speak for itself. All I knew going into this record was they're from the almighty Finland, they sing about Satan, and they classify themselves as 'death n sludge'. I'm sold.

'Firebride', which will be released on February 14th, 2020 via Suicide Records, is a catchy, groove-filled, jam record from front to back. Initially hearing they were defined as 'death n sludge' is definitely not enough because this record has so much more to it. A blackened scream you'd be able to compare to the likes of Nergal from Behemoth or even Gaahl from his stint with Gorgoroth is what leads the record. You'd think it'd be an off-putting mixture but it fits in so well. I've always been a fan of bands that can pull off a vocal styling that is usually alien to the genre of music being played, so this was a nice surprise. The guitars are so crisp but have just a touch of that dirty sludge we all love. The bass roaring under it all allowing you to feel the groove, and the drums staying in the pocket and making everything fit perfectly and guiding you into the next spot. I love drummers who don't get ahead of themselves on albums like this. Having a guy who knows how to bring the thunder and let it sit right in your face without overplaying is such a rarity. Drummers need to take more notes from men such as Bill Ward who is a master of this. Stay in the pocket and shake the earth without trying to make it fall apart. It's not always needed and can ruin the flow of an album. This album has incredible self-awareness of what it is and I respect that immensely.

The record touches on a whole heap of genres like doom, stoner, heavy, power, and sludge metal. It takes the finest of all of these and rolls them into a record that will make you feel like your money was finally well spent. Especially in a time where everything has been so watered down and you know what you're gonna get and you're bored before it even shows up.

The first officially released single 'Pagan Saviour' while great, is honestly one of the more relaxed tracks of the album. Which is saying something because the track is killer and far from relaxed. Big riffs, epic chanting, and it just feels like it gets bigger and bigger. So to know that there are songs that amp it up even more is great. Songs like 'Hail Yourself', 'The Reverend', and 'All Them Witches' are so tasty and irresistible to headbanging it's nice to see a record that will be able to sustain itself farther down the line if they choose to release more singles. They have nowhere to go but up with the tracks they've kept from the public so far. While I didn't hear what I feel is enough doom on the record, 'All Them Witches' gives you a super heavy dose that will take care of that thirst but I'd love to hear these guys venture into the doom side of things a lot more in the future.

All in all, what you have here is a record that's almost perfect to be the soundtrack of a night of great times with your friends and some drinks. If you need a quick description to sell your buddies on, tell them it sounds like an alcohol-fueled, sludge-riff rock album fronted by Satan. What's not to love? With everything I've heard it's no surprise that in 2019 they were tapped to open for the legendary Corrosion of Conformity in Helsinki. So if COC signed off on these guys then what do you need me to tell you for? Go buy the record!

I'd love to see a lot more action and push on these guys. They have what you're looking for. Every track on the record (aside from an interlude) hits the spot for something. There shouldn't be anyone left out when listening to this album.

ALBUM REVIEW: Leeched, “To Dull The Blades of Your Abuse”

By: Jeff Anderson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 31/01/2020

Label: Prosthetic Records

“To Dull The Blades of Your Abuse” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01.) The Hound’s Jaw
02.) The Grey Tide
03.) I, Flatline
04.) Now It Ends
05.) Earth And Ash
06.) Famine At The Gates
07.) Praise Your Blades
08.) Burn With Me
09.) Let Me Die

The Review:

What can you say about a band whose actions cover it all and leave little left to sell you on? In only 3 years and some change, Manchester UK's metallic hardcore act Leeched have managed to not only land on the highly respected Prosthetic Records and headline tours but have also (now) released three records; each growing darker and more manic. With almost no time in between releases and touring while avoiding steering themselves into blandness, the band has ascended itself into the same ranks as similar genre-buddies Full of Hell, Nails, and Harm's Way and doing so in about a quarter of the time. Which shows that the band's work ethic matches the ferocity of the music. If you can believe that.

The previous releases from this band include 2017's 'Nothing Will Grow From The Rotten Ground' EP and their 2018 full length record 'You Took The Sun When You Left'. While never abandoning the sound they love, which has always been sort of a Slayer meets Converge with a bit of Crowbar thrown in, each album has built off of the last one and adding a dash of something new every time while growing angrier and becoming tighter as a group. Never once does it feel like they're repeating themselves. It's a continuance that proceeds to get better and more emotional. Or emotionless?

From the visceral lyrics, to the mountain shaking bass, to the brick wall of Kurt Ballou sounding guitars, and the drums crushing your windpipe, Leeched has returned, exceptionally fast as usual, and with even more hatred than before. If the lyrics don't make you feel it, the music for sure will. If you could describe the sound of an apocalyptic, Mad Max-esque, no hope or care for the future type setting, this new record would be it.

Their latest release 'To Dull The Blades of Your Abuse' (due out January 31st, 2020 on Prosthetic Records), is a nightmare. And I mean that in the best way possible. This album builds on their previous tightly executed mixture of hardcore, sludge, industrial, and old school straight-up heavy metal and somehow manages to make it even more bleak and disgusting. While definitely not shying away from their hardcore and grind elements on tracks like 'The Grey Tide', 'Earth and Ash', and 'Praise Your Blades', this album does trek into the sludge side of things more than they have before. Tracks like 'Now It Ends' and 'Let Me Die' showcase the low and slow sludge elements this band excels at. As well as sprinkling it in almost every track on this record to my excitement. It's more raw, nastier, and more upsetting than they've ever been before. It feels like this album is trying to harm you. It wants you to feel the pain it feels. And I absolutely love that. Once the music hits on the opening track 'The Hound's Jaw', it's filled with squeals and cries reminiscent of Pantera's 'Hellbound', followed by 36 minutes of a claustrophobic dragging through scum, which only ceases at the very end of 'Black Sun Ceremony' with a swan dive into the blackest depths of your own hell.

A standout track for me is 'Now It Ends' and if there has ever been a name that fits a song this is it. Nothing fancy, nothing overdone or overthought. Just a song that feels like despair and emptiness. This song to me feels like what a man spiraling out of control would hear in his head right at the end. All signs of sanity and happiness have slipped away and this is what rings in his head until he stops it by his own hand.

Leeched completely nailed it on this record. It's January and this is already going to be a competitor for top 10 lists in 2020 for heavy music. If you're looking for bleak, gross, ultra-heavy metallic/blackened hardcore then this record is it. Forever.
_____

'To Dull The Blades of Your Abuse' is available HERE:

Band info: facebook || bandcamp