A new Borracho record is always reason to celebrate, as the Washington DC riff dealers have been slinging their stuff for almost 20 years now and have never put out anything that was not great, heavy stoner rock awesomeness. Borracho is one of the standard bearers of the genre, and their new record, Ouroboros, cements this legacy even further, as the band brings it once again on album number six.
Less political but still socially relevant and relatable to the everyman, the songs out Ouroboros continue to have a strong social message without picking sides. Vegas Baby is the perfect example of this, outlining the ills of society while piling on the riffs.
The guitar work on this one is absolutely killer. Succubus is next and is so Borracho in the best ways. Low end heavy with killer riffs, and do I hear a bit of synth in the background? Kent Stump mastered the record, so you know it is going to sound great, with Lord Of Suffering highlighting this. Man, do I love the groove on this one, and the anger coming out of the vocals as well.
The psych-leaning middle part is on fire too. Vale Of Tears is a three-minute riff filled chill (for Borracho) interlude, with some more very cool psych guitar that leads seamlessly into Machine Is The Master which has more of that trademarked Borracho groove and enough riffs to keep even a DC filibuster interesting. Love the vocals on this one too.
Freakshow picks up the pace a bit and I love the evil carny vocals. Oh, yeah, and the riffs. So many riffs. The closer, Broken Man, may have my favourite riff on the record is exactly why people love this band so much. Prototypical Borracho in all the best ways, musically, vocally, and lyrically (with some organ too!!!)
Borracho stands up as one of the leaders of heavy stoner rock bands that exist today. I put their discography up against any other band out there, and with Ouroboros they re-confirm what we all know: Borracho rules and Ouroboros is the next chapter in their reign. 9/10
Dozer - Rewind To Return: Rarities, Singles And B-Sides (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]
There are some bands that have songs that are B-sides for a reason. Dozer is not one of them, with the proof being the fifteen songs on their new compilation, Rewind To Return: Rarities, Singles And B-Sides. There are zero throw away tracks on this album and all of these songs can hang with the album tracks that this awesome band has released over their 30-year run. There are some cool gems from splits, killer covers, and unreleased songs that all kick ass and deserve to be heard amongst the more well-known Dozer material.
All of these songs are worth your time, but if I had to call out a few, I would start with the opener, the fuzzy stoner ripper Tanglefoot from the 1998 split with Demon Cleaner and another track on a different split with Demon Cleaner, Hail The Dude, from 1999. Centerline is also killer, also from a Demon Cleaner split. Southern Star, a bonus track from the Call It Conspiracy vinyl, could have been one of the best songs on that amazing record and is a fuzzy sonic soundscape that just rules.
Borracho stands up as one of the leaders of heavy stoner rock bands that exist today. I put their discography up against any other band out there, and with Ouroboros they re-confirm what we all know: Borracho rules and Ouroboros is the next chapter in their reign. 9/10
Dozer - Rewind To Return: Rarities, Singles And B-Sides (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]
There are some bands that have songs that are B-sides for a reason. Dozer is not one of them, with the proof being the fifteen songs on their new compilation, Rewind To Return: Rarities, Singles And B-Sides. There are zero throw away tracks on this album and all of these songs can hang with the album tracks that this awesome band has released over their 30-year run. There are some cool gems from splits, killer covers, and unreleased songs that all kick ass and deserve to be heard amongst the more well-known Dozer material.
All of these songs are worth your time, but if I had to call out a few, I would start with the opener, the fuzzy stoner ripper Tanglefoot from the 1998 split with Demon Cleaner and another track on a different split with Demon Cleaner, Hail The Dude, from 1999. Centerline is also killer, also from a Demon Cleaner split. Southern Star, a bonus track from the Call It Conspiracy vinyl, could have been one of the best songs on that amazing record and is a fuzzy sonic soundscape that just rules.
The early demos will be a very interesting listen to fans of the band, as they are raw and show a band that is just figuring out what they want to be, with Season Of Giants being my favourite of the three previously unreleased songs. I am a sucker for The Misfits, so the cover of She is also one of my favourites, as I love how they pretty much make the song two different ways in one gloriously fuzzy track.
Dozer rules and so do their B-Sides. There are no skips, even with their non-album material. Rewind To Return: Rarities, Singles And B-Sides is just as essential as any other Dozer release. 9/10
Baelfyr - Empowered By Hatred (Unsigned) [Mark Young]
The upward trajectory of released music in August continues as Baelfyr drop their debut release which is somewhere between EP and LP in terms of its length. The Peterborough outfit gave added another name to the list of UK bands to watch for, and in doing so shows that the UK scene is in rude health. In approaching it from (in their words) an Old-School manner they have managed to inject a level of freshness to it without having a sound that directly apes releases of the past and it’s a mystery that they haven’t been picked up yet.
At The Mercy Of A Vain God is the opening statement, with a definite nod to the old school with a clean intro section that you know is going to burst into life. Admittedly its not as instant as I thought it would be but proves to make good on that promise of solid riffs as song moves so does the tempo, reaching that sweet spot where it has a feeling of movement without leaving orbit.
Dozer rules and so do their B-Sides. There are no skips, even with their non-album material. Rewind To Return: Rarities, Singles And B-Sides is just as essential as any other Dozer release. 9/10
Baelfyr - Empowered By Hatred (Unsigned) [Mark Young]
The upward trajectory of released music in August continues as Baelfyr drop their debut release which is somewhere between EP and LP in terms of its length. The Peterborough outfit gave added another name to the list of UK bands to watch for, and in doing so shows that the UK scene is in rude health. In approaching it from (in their words) an Old-School manner they have managed to inject a level of freshness to it without having a sound that directly apes releases of the past and it’s a mystery that they haven’t been picked up yet.
At The Mercy Of A Vain God is the opening statement, with a definite nod to the old school with a clean intro section that you know is going to burst into life. Admittedly its not as instant as I thought it would be but proves to make good on that promise of solid riffs as song moves so does the tempo, reaching that sweet spot where it has a feeling of movement without leaving orbit.
The vocals are spot on here, delivered in a way that adds to the overall speed of the song without sounding out of place. Sound wise, its mint. The guitars are well defined whilst leaving room for bass and drums which also provide a heft boot to the face. It’s an accomplished opener and one that sets the tone for the songs that follow and shows that you don’t need a million notes an hour or super-speed to get the job done.
The EP itself unfolds at a delicious pace, building on the foundations laid by the opening track. The Consequence Of Endless Expansion is a cracker, the blackened edges forming around one of those songs that has the balance between implied speed and crushing rhythm down pat.
The EP itself unfolds at a delicious pace, building on the foundations laid by the opening track. The Consequence Of Endless Expansion is a cracker, the blackened edges forming around one of those songs that has the balance between implied speed and crushing rhythm down pat.
I used to think that bands would sometimes forget that track 3 is a pivotal position amongst the running time, maybe assuming that the hard work is done with the start, not here as this one rips as does the more measure Under A Starless Sky which again makes good on their promise of memorable songs that stick with you after they have finished. There is a burning confidence on display here, with the band knowing that their material is as good as any of their contemporaries.
The final word is given to the title track, Empowered By Hatred and it is a fantastic book end to proceedings. This is a grinding, slow burn beast which pays homage to that old school but done to suit their filter. Make no mistake this is a future classic that for me takes me back to my first forays into the genre over 30 years ago.
The final word is given to the title track, Empowered By Hatred and it is a fantastic book end to proceedings. This is a grinding, slow burn beast which pays homage to that old school but done to suit their filter. Make no mistake this is a future classic that for me takes me back to my first forays into the genre over 30 years ago.
It’s the way that they mix the light and dark within the song, it’s not overstated or overwrought and I know that ultimately this is nothing new but it feels as if you are hearing it for the first time. I think it is the enthusiasm that bleeds through each song that is making me think this way.
This is death metal that does not rely on smoke and mirrors, it’s a collection of heavy riffs and well-built songs that show that metal is all about the riffs and the thrill that is derived from hearing music like this. For me it is one of the stand-out releases of the year and as I said, its completely baffling that they are unsigned whilst releasing music as good as this. 9/10
Victim Of Fire - The Old Lie (Return Trip Records) [Mark Young]
The intention was to get this review done whilst on hols during the week leading up to its release. That didn’t go as planned, which you can plainly see by the fact I am submitting this a week late.
Whilst this might mean that the review could be missed under a glut of new releases, it has given me the chance to really let this embed itself with me and as a result I have got a real contender that should smash its way on to those pesky and sometimes annoying AOTY lists that have come to represent December as much as Noddy and Wizzard do with their respective Christmas jingles. I think that the ‘Crust’ tag or label that came with this release could put some off, it didn’t fill me with a ‘must listen now’ feeling but once you get into this any preconceptions should get left by the bins.
There is a comment on Bandcamp, made by a supporter of the band:
“Crust is clearly what melodeath needs to save it from sounding generic” and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve reviewed a few albums this year that by and large see the respective bands basically bring the same music which does what its supposed to do but just feels like a retread, tired even.
This is death metal that does not rely on smoke and mirrors, it’s a collection of heavy riffs and well-built songs that show that metal is all about the riffs and the thrill that is derived from hearing music like this. For me it is one of the stand-out releases of the year and as I said, its completely baffling that they are unsigned whilst releasing music as good as this. 9/10
Victim Of Fire - The Old Lie (Return Trip Records) [Mark Young]
The intention was to get this review done whilst on hols during the week leading up to its release. That didn’t go as planned, which you can plainly see by the fact I am submitting this a week late.
Whilst this might mean that the review could be missed under a glut of new releases, it has given me the chance to really let this embed itself with me and as a result I have got a real contender that should smash its way on to those pesky and sometimes annoying AOTY lists that have come to represent December as much as Noddy and Wizzard do with their respective Christmas jingles. I think that the ‘Crust’ tag or label that came with this release could put some off, it didn’t fill me with a ‘must listen now’ feeling but once you get into this any preconceptions should get left by the bins.
There is a comment on Bandcamp, made by a supporter of the band:
“Crust is clearly what melodeath needs to save it from sounding generic” and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve reviewed a few albums this year that by and large see the respective bands basically bring the same music which does what its supposed to do but just feels like a retread, tired even.
Technically, its great but fails to resonate. This is just different, played with a sense of enjoyment and what I believe is a band that is fizzing about the songs they have written and recorded. That Crust element brings something new; the punk edges are sharp and introducing them to that melodeath arena gives them a fresh edge that makes this such a brilliant listen.
They don’t overdue the melodic, rather they keep it under check as a counterpoint to the punk edge so that over the course of the 9 tracks you are constantly engaged with what they have to say. The icing on this cake is a storming cover of Aces High (some UK band, Iron Maiden, you may have heard of them?) which is treated with reverence but played on their terms. The Maiden cover is telling, because once you hear that and then go back for repeated listens (and you will go back again) you can pick up on that influence in and amongst the songs here.
Soldiers Dream has maybe the most obvious one, as the song fades into an acoustic piece that could have come straight from Steve Harris’s denim jacket. Its difficult to pick standout tracks here, because they each one is spot on but if I am being pushed, I will go with the one-two of Front Towards Enemy and Disharmonist as being my faves today and I know it will change tomorrow.
It shows just how strong this album is from start to finish. What I will say is that this is one of the first albums in a while which I am genuinely enthused about and I want you to be as enthused as I am. It provides the visceral edge that I feel has been missing and it breathes new life into melodeath. If you love that genre, you have to get onboard with them because they bring the riffs, the gnarly vocals, the right attitude that makes heavy metal such a vital form of music. 10/10
It shows just how strong this album is from start to finish. What I will say is that this is one of the first albums in a while which I am genuinely enthused about and I want you to be as enthused as I am. It provides the visceral edge that I feel has been missing and it breathes new life into melodeath. If you love that genre, you have to get onboard with them because they bring the riffs, the gnarly vocals, the right attitude that makes heavy metal such a vital form of music. 10/10
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