By: Victor Van Ommen
Album Type: Full-Length
Date Released: 25/09/2015
Label: Fuzzorama Records
What they do is fresh, a new take on heavy riffery. Whether it’s the blood curdling screams in 'Prairie Oyster' or how 'Hold On' lures in prey with a delicate falsetto grip of death, these guys know how to take control. 'Comatose'. The result is that We Hunt Buffalo has crafted a record with equal parts Nordic heavy and Californian sun to sound unique enough to turn heads yet remain indebted enough to their predecessors to be instantly recognizable.
‘Living Ghosts’ CD//DD track listing:
1. Ragnarok
2. Back To The River
3. Prairie Oyster
4. Hold On
5. Comatose
6. Fear
7. The Barrens
8. Looking Glass
9. Walk Again
2. Back To The River
3. Prairie Oyster
4. Hold On
5. Comatose
6. Fear
7. The Barrens
8. Looking Glass
9. Walk Again
We Hunt Buffalo
Ryan Forsythe | Vocals/Guitar
Brendan Simpson | Bass/Vocals
Brandon Carter | Drums/Vocals
Brendan Simpson | Bass/Vocals
Brandon Carter | Drums/Vocals
The Review:
The school of stoner rock takes about four years to graduate from. As a graduate, you will be presented with a piece of paper that confirms your willingness to party, get high, and somehow manage to scrape by. Whether my statements are based on personal experiences or not - replace 'stoner rock' with 'economics' or whatever it was that you studied - there are always those students who excelled and did what was expected of them. Such is the case with We Hunt Buffalo, a band from Canada who hit their stride somewhere in the curriculum's third year during their study abroad program in Sweden
Their first assignment was to write a song that drew inspiration from these bands. 'Back to the River' was the result, earning We Hunt Buffalo a pretty high grade for the assignment. 'These are evil times' Forsythe proclaims in the chorus before continuing with, 'we are the ones who know much better, stop and realign.' With this, Dozer is felt down to the bone in tone, feel, and most of all, delivery, but considering Dozer already exists, it’s forgivable if the first reaction here is to move on. However, if the lines in the chorus are taken in as a testament that We Hunt Buffalo want to be associated with Nordic heavy rock while carving themselves a niche just the same, then it’s the listener who will be rewarded.
The reward is that We Hunt Buffalo make a damn good attempt at showing that they might know better - or at least differently - in doing what the Swedes are already pretty good at. What they do is fresh, a new take on heavy riffery. Whether it’s the blood curdling screams in 'Prairie Oyster' or how 'Hold On' lures in prey with a delicate falsetto grip of death, these guys know how to take control. 'Comatose' boasts a CKY kind of drama by way of an outer-space Fu Manchu guitar lick, and the theatrical vocals in 'The Barrens' is a surprising success, adding more tension to a record that is already thick to begin with. The result is that We Hunt Buffalo has crafted a record with equal parts Nordic heavy and Californian sun to sound unique enough to turn heads yet remain indebted enough to their predecessors to be instantly recognizable.
Their first assignment was to write a song that drew inspiration from these bands. 'Back to the River' was the result, earning We Hunt Buffalo a pretty high grade for the assignment. 'These are evil times' Forsythe proclaims in the chorus before continuing with, 'we are the ones who know much better, stop and realign.' With this, Dozer is felt down to the bone in tone, feel, and most of all, delivery, but considering Dozer already exists, it’s forgivable if the first reaction here is to move on. However, if the lines in the chorus are taken in as a testament that We Hunt Buffalo want to be associated with Nordic heavy rock while carving themselves a niche just the same, then it’s the listener who will be rewarded.
The reward is that We Hunt Buffalo make a damn good attempt at showing that they might know better - or at least differently - in doing what the Swedes are already pretty good at. What they do is fresh, a new take on heavy riffery. Whether it’s the blood curdling screams in 'Prairie Oyster' or how 'Hold On' lures in prey with a delicate falsetto grip of death, these guys know how to take control. 'Comatose' boasts a CKY kind of drama by way of an outer-space Fu Manchu guitar lick, and the theatrical vocals in 'The Barrens' is a surprising success, adding more tension to a record that is already thick to begin with. The result is that We Hunt Buffalo has crafted a record with equal parts Nordic heavy and Californian sun to sound unique enough to turn heads yet remain indebted enough to their predecessors to be instantly recognizable.
