By:
Richard Maw
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 30/06/2015
Label: Independent
All in all, I haven't heard a record of this type that is this good
for a long time. If you enjoy Monster Magnet, Mastodon, Danzig, The Doors,
Scissorfight and so on, you will find a lot to enjoy here. This is fantastic
heavy rock music with a dark vibe and a metal heart... One more thing: it is
relentlessly, unbelievably, deliciously, catchy.
‘Black Ocean
Waves’ CD//DD//LP track listing:
1.
Mal De Mer
2. The One That God Forgot To Save
3. Requiem For A Drunkard
4. Red Skies
5. Trail Of Thorns
6. Blood Of The Lamb
7. The Gentleman Carny
8. There Were Bells
2. The One That God Forgot To Save
3. Requiem For A Drunkard
4. Red Skies
5. Trail Of Thorns
6. Blood Of The Lamb
7. The Gentleman Carny
8. There Were Bells
King Giant is:
Floyd
Walters III | bass
Todd
"t.i." Ingram | lead guitar
Dave
Hammerly | vocals
Brooks
| drums
David
Kowalski | rhythm guitar
The Review:
These
Americans know how it's done. This one grabs you from the off. It is a really
easy record to listen to. Neither complex or repetitive, their sound is best
described as a mixture of a straightforward Mastodon
with Scissorfight, accompanied by a
Danzig/Morrison sound-alike on vocals.
Indeed,
Dave Hammerley is the ace up the band's sleeve. His vocals really lift the
album beyond the many acts offering up dumbed-down-Mastodonisms. His is a great
voice of hard living experience. I guess ‘Requiem
for a drunkard’ sums up his lyrical modus operandi excellently. He has a
great voice and a great vibe. Naturally as the vocals are actual singing, it
also lifts the band above the rest of the pack and marks them out not only as
different, but also as better.
The
likes of ‘Blood of The Lamb’ and ‘The Gentleman Carny’
are just easy and compelling listens. The tracks are not lightweight by any
means, but the songs are well crafted and just allow the record to slide by.
With tracks like ‘Trail of Thorns’ sounding a
little like Fu Manchu on a bad trip, the band mix their
Americana with their metal, a little like a less abrasive Artimus Pyledriver
(remember them? Great band).
All
in all, I haven't heard a record of this type that is this good for a long
time. If you enjoy Monster Magnet, Mastodon, Danzig,
The Doors, Scissorfight and so on, you will find a lot to enjoy
here. This is fantastic heavy rock music with a dark vibe and a metal heart...
One more thing: it is relentlessly, unbelievably, deliciously, catchy.
‘Black Ocean
Waves’ is
available here
