By: Richard Maw
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 17/08/2018
Label: Season of Mist
Black Tusk, as the title of the album
suggests, are taking care of business in the most direct and ferocious way. No
fat, no let up- just pure high energy rock n roll.
“T.C.B.T.” CS//CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). A Perfect View of Absolutely Nothing
2). Closed Eye
3). Agali
4). Lab Rat
5). Scalped
6). Ghosts Roam
7). Ill At
Ease
8). Rest With the Dead
9). Never Ending Daymare
10). Orange Red Dead
11). Whispers
12). Burn the Stars
The Review:
Punk
rock fury. That's what Black Tusk are bringing with them to this
particular party. Corey Barhorst of Kylesa fame has taken over from Athon (having
seen the band live with both line ups, no one could replace Athon, per se) and
he holds down the low end and his portion of the vocals impressively and never
without anything less than 100% conviction.
Through
their previous records, the band has channelled stoner, sludge, metal and rock
n roll to go with the punk element, but it is the band's punk tendencies which
shine here. The album is raw and angry and the first three tracks after the
intro clip by at an astonishing intensity. The sound expands with “Scalped” and “Ghosts Roam”, but the band really are taking care of business in
the most direct and ferocious way. No fat, no let up- just pure high energy
rock n roll. To say that if you crossed Sick of It All with Mastodon you might get Black Tusk...
well, it's not wide of the mark.
I
confess to being a big fan of the band and this album was never going to
disappoint. Their finishing statement with Athon, “Pillars of Ash”, was
reviewed by me for THE SLUDGELORD a couple of years ago and that
still stands as a vicious and rocking slab of primal screams- “T.C.B.T.” is
different but no less good. Through releases such as “Tend No Wounds” and “Taste
The Sin”, Black
Tusk have always put their own personal stamp on their approach and
sound and have never really sounded like the other Savannah bands (Kylesa,
Baroness
et al) by virtue of their directness and energy. They remain a different
proposition here and perhaps can be viewed as the Motorhead of the Savannah scene: cool,
uncompromising and having a good time, all the time- even through the worst
times.
Through
the twelve tracks here the band are intense and on fire. Sure, not every riff
is memorable and not every hook is golden, but the band make up for this with
shear commitment and will. Equally, picking stand outs is tricky here as every
track has something to offer and every track is bursting with energy. “Never Ending Daymare” is a fine example
of what the trio do best; and the energy with which they do it, but I couldn't
argue with any listener picking out “Closed
Eye” or “Ill At Ease” or...
pretty much any song here.
The
final three tracks on the record burn just as brightly as the first three and
with that, the record is over. If there is any criticism to be levelled here,
it is not at the band themselves but the cover art leaves a little to be
desired. To go from the beautifully haunting imagery of John Baizley's art work
on previous releases to the stark black and white dullness of the cover here,
well, it should have been better.
That
said, Black
Tusk, as the title of the album suggests, are taking care of Black Tusk
(“T.C.B.T.”) in the only way they know how: with full on enthusiasm. The album is a
joy to hear and shows that triumph can come from tragedy and can happen without
compromise. I for one am very glad that the band are still around. We are lucky
to have them.
“T.C.B.T.”
is available here
