Cloud Rat : "Qliphoth

Despite the politically correct out cry that women don't get enough opportunity or respect in metal, there is also the other side of the coin that if it was a man singing instead of a woman would a band like Cloud Rat get the same level of hype that they do? The first song off their new album finds them retreading similar ground. In fact the first two songs are a step backwards as they song like generic punk infused grind core.The guitar becomes a little more sonic on "The Upper World" its too bad the songwriting doesn't compliment it. The first song to stand out is "Racoon" they slow down. This does show Madison's inability to to much more than rant and rave as they let the chords ring out."Daisies" finds the band back to the more punk side until they give some more metal accents to the chords. It also finds me wondering how I am going to make it through this album when I have begun to feel like there is something more interesting I could be reviewing rather than having to endure this.So I decided to just try to write the things I like about  this album. I like the title "Bloated Goat and I like that there are only eleven more songs after this one and they tend to be rather short.

"Rusting Belt" brings me another song closer to the end of this album. The guitar that opens "Udder Dust" is cool and is actual music. There is a shoegaze like element to it.It's the most melodic song up until this point and the first song I like. "The Killing Horizon" is just a synth interlude, before they blast into "the Boars Snout". There is a cool metallic riff in this one. They tease another melodic chord progression on "Hermit Interstice" . It goes the direction most of the songs head in. "Live Wake" keeps the spastic blasting going. "Thin Vein" finds them drifting back towards shoe gaze. Madison might be actually singing here but it's so far back in the mix you can't tell. They wait til the final few songs of the album to dig into a darker melodic place. "Bolt Gun" only hangs on this for so long until it goes into a pretty powerfully chugged sludge. "Rogue Park" has a little more thought into its composition.

Pretty happy to have made it into the final two songs. "Friend of the Court" is a slower lumber, that races into what the bulk of this album seems to do. While they are not a one trick pony they come pretty damn close. In the final minute it gets more melodic , but it's too little too late.The last song finds her reciting some poetry over slower guitar, until they ruin it with another outburst. I'll round this down to a 3, it's one of the worst albums I have heard in some time.