Tuesday 6 May 2014

The Great Sabatini - Dog Years - Album Review

The Great Sabatini Detail 'Dog Years,' Announce Canada/U.S. Tour
Album TypeAlbum
Date Released: June 2nd 2014
Label: Solar Flare Records

Dog Years - track listing:

1. The Royal We
2. Guest Of Honor
3. Nursing Home
4. Periwinkle War Hammer
5. Reach
6. Akela
7. Munera
8. Pitchfork Pete
9. Ditch Diggers Unlimited
10. Life During Wartime

Bio

The Great Sabatini is slow tempos, feedback, tube amps, baritone guitars and four screaming mouths.

Formed in 2007 in Montreal, The Great Sabatini have directed their focus on a stripped-down approach to song-writing without discarding the technical aspects of their performance. Drawing on influences from doom metal, 70's rock and grindcore helped create their unique although not unfamiliar sound.

The Band Members

Steve Sabatini, Sean Sabatini, Rob Sabatini, Joey Sabatini

Review:

The Great Sabatini return with their 3rd eagerly anticipated album – Dog Years. A noise rock driven sludge metal avalanche of angry moods and riffs to spoil your day. These noise loving Canadians are still angry as ever since their last album though still with a wicked sense of humour. Look at the album cover folks. Imagine if these guys ever made it to Sesame Street. Your kids would be scarred for life!!!

This album is one intense ride from start to finish as these noise rock magicians show you what tricks they are going to impress you with. It doesn’t take long for The Great Sabatini to unleash heck on earth as the first track – The Royal We – comes flying you from all directions. Noise, Hardcore and Sludge Metal madness combine for one uncompromising attack of brutal riffs.

2nd track – Guest Of Honor – is a 67 second blast that feels like you’re whole body is being beaten by a quick succession of deadly punches that will leave you feeling very uncomfortable indeed. These guys have never sounded so dangerous as they do here. And they keep that mad manic violent energy up on 3rd track – Nursing Home. Which adds more volatile noises to the mix with the band having a violent and noisy jam based session with some intelligent riffs being played for your pleasure and amusement.

It’s not until the 5th track – Reach – which sees the band shift styles from Converge style blasts to Mastodon style progressive sludge rock riffs while still maintaining that Great Sabatini sound. This is definitely the album’s standout track. As the band combine volatile noise rock style riffs with the more haunting atmospheric sludge riffs especially towards the end of the track. This is where the album starts becoming something different indeed.

Now I know the band are known for their sense of humour but wait until you hear the next track after Reach. – Aleka. A 2 minute bluegrass track. What…. – Bluegrass. I was expecting a lot of things but this ain’t it. And it did make me laugh out loud though it’s still quite a superbly written track which shows the band aren’t all about noise and volume.

The band return to their usual style of Noise driven Sludge Rock nightmares with Munera. Another one of the albums other standout tracks as the band experiment with fast-paced noises and slow-paced guitar riffs with lead vocalist on brutal fine form once again.

Wait until you hear the nightmarish tones of Pitchfork Pete which starts off with a creepy and unsettling soundbyte before the band lay down a haunting instrumental rock track that will leave you feeling very uncomfortable indeed. I think I have spoilt enough of the album for you but lets just say The Great Sabatini have outdone themselves with this release.

Dog Years is an album driven by noise and emotion that you will find very hard to ignore. It’s superbly produced from start to finish. This is another album of the year contender for me. It’s seriously that good. Ignore this at your peril!!!

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Solar FlareRecords for sending us a copy. Dog Years will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl from June 2nd 2014.

Check The Band From Links Below.


Written by Steve Howe