Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Grave Siesta "Piss and Vinegar"

Grave Siesta are a Finnish doom metal band that have released their second album "Piss and Vinegar". The first thing that occurred to me when I saw the album name was English punk band GBH released an album with the same name in the not too distant past but that's where the connection with British punk stops as Grave Siesta are definitely a metal band.

The most striking feature are the vocal gymnastics of Taito Halonen and they hit you on the first dirty sludgy track, "Tyrant Pleasures". He goes from raspy grunts to clean singing to breathless growls. It'd be easy to compare him to Mike Patton but Halonen's vocals have a dirtier feel at times and sometimes remind me of a Chuck Mosley with wider range. "Coffinborne" moves from slow sludger doom into a faster pass and whips the listener thoughout regardless of the speed. Put your dirty mind at rest, "Seamen Swallow'd" is actually a rollicking track about sailors being swallowed. "Warwhore" is menacing with its catchy chorus and doom metal underbelly dragging through the slimiest sludge. "Pile of Tongues" has a death metal edge but heads in a rock 'n' roll direction and the vocals even take a short turn towards the very melodic edge of the Messiah of Candlemass. "Knight of a Bent Lance" sounds messy at times due to the drums shifting tempo but the band keep it together and if it wasn't originally intended, it's a fabulous disaster.

"Whispers of the Worm" lets you know that Grave Siesta keep their Black Sabbath and Candlemass albums close to the heart but when the vocals take a turn, you realize just how much these guys also treasure death metal.

While there are some clean vocals on this record, "Piss and Vinegar" is a dirty album and Grave Siesta offer up far more than retrodden Black Sabbath riffs. This band are treading some interesting ground that the more adventurous music fan will appreciate.

4/5





Listen to the album on Grave Siesta's bandcamp page





Grave Siesta on Facebook





Monday, October 5, 2015

Brond - Feint




The EP format is usually a great thing as it doesn't contain the fat that an album and it's over quickly. Brond are a post-hardcore band from Sofia, Bulgaria, which have chosen to release an EP entitled "Feint".


Brond's music is heavily influenced by the likes of Fugazi and Helmet. The first track has a lot of throaty hardcore shouting and a great start/stop dynamic. "Build Re Build" features some quick drumming and vocals which are a reminder of Fugazi. There's a progressive type feel to the music as it is difficult for a listener to guess which direction the song will take. Despite that, there's definitely not a lack of focus as Brond sound super-tight. While it falls between the post-hardcore of Fugazi and the more stripped down metal of Helmet, "Atlantic Empress" employs a tasty and fitting jazz-punk type direction. "Lava Divers" features the strong pound drumming that Helmet are known for and clear hollering over the music.


This is the sort of release that kicks a slacking off reviewer in the ass and leaves drool stains in the floor. There's mopping to be done shortly.

4/5

Check out the Feint EP on bandcamp here

Beastwars - IV

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