By: Mark Tremblay
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 22/09/2017
Label: Gluttony Gang
Botfly are one of the best things in Canadian Heavy music,
with arguably a sleeper in the discussion of record of the year.
“Botfly“ DD//LP
track listing:
1). Disjointed
2). Melancholy in Real Time
3). Yellow
Bike Road
4). Man’s Best Friend
5). Back Tracked
6). Day in my Life
7). Code Name
8). Gutless
The Review:
East
coast hardcore/sludge purveyors Botfly return
with their second release of the year. Botfly has
slowly morphed from KEN mode worship,
to embracing a wide range of elements ranging from punk all the way to indie
rock.
The
album is broken into two halves; the first half embracing more punk elements,
and the second being much more dark and atmospheric. The opening tracks “Disjointed” and “Melancholy in Real Time” employ major keys and melodies that are both
disjointed and comforting all at the same time. “Yellow Bike Road”
comes out of the gate with a super catchy-yet-heavy riff, and emploes vocal
techniques not previously used by the band.
The
listener is transitioned into the darker half of the record with “Man’s Best Friend” featuring walls of
static and haunting vocals. It is one of the most moving tracks on the record. “Back Tracked” features some “Watch
Out” era Alexisonfire influence before
swinging into hardcore that bleeds into “Day
in my Life”. The sludge is brought into the fray with “Code Name”. Full of heavy hitting riffs reminiscent of material
found on “Hatch”. The album quietly
segues out on “Gutless”, a dark
ambient folk track that is the perfect ending to this record.
Botfly
are one
of the best things in Canadian Heavy music, with arguably a sleeper in the
discussion of record of the year.
“Botfly” is available here