Black Tusk : "Pillars of Ash"

If you like the lines blurred between punk and metal then this band from Savannah is for you. With Kylesa's Cory Barhost stepping in to fill the shoes of the late Johnathan Athon who died in a motorcycle accident. Without question Black Tusk is back with a fury. With barked vocal trade off, this is sludge amped up at warp speed. The album as a whole doesn't let up, but attacks with relentless rage. Right from the opening "God's on Vacation" which is more of a punk song than a metal song until the chugging bridge kicks in. There is more of a metal drive to "Desolation of Endless Times" , but with these guys it's commonly hard to see the line where one begins and the other ends. The riff have an almost hard core punch to them which makes sense as that's the normal cross roads where punk and metal meet if it's not thrash. The first riff that bears a hint of Motorhead is on "Bleed on Your Knees" the vocals take a more punk approach one they grind into the verses. The opening riff to "Born of Strife" reminds me a little of AC/DC , but from there is muscles ahead in a straight forward fashion cramming a ton of mean into three minutes. Born of Strife " really finds the point pounded home before being lashed against the rabid punk speeds the band accelerates to. 

Sometimes the punk side really wins out like on "Damned in the Ground" which I don't find as compelling as when the  band's more metallic edge is rooted in place even if it's for a brief snarl. This one like the bulk of the album takes a nod from grindcore  and punk by clocking in at three minutes. After a few listens even this song grows on me, they work quite a few riffs into this quick blast of ferocious bellowing with Barhost's higher shout adds to the dual vocal attack. " Beyond the Divide" gets off to a slower swampy intro , but soon shifts into a angrier slugfest.  The drums open up the ripping crust of  "Black Tide" A minute into the song and there is an almost more rock n roll riff getting trampled over by the drums. At just under four minutes this is one of the album's longer songs.  It is also one of the albums as melody creeps into some of the darker riffs. "Still not Well" has a syncopated chug that recalls Helmet's more aggressive moments. If you haven't already been convinced that their drummer is a beast he really shines playing around this groove.It's also one rare moments on the album where the metal is clearly a distinct element in and of it's self. "Walk Among the Sun" blasts off before finding a more hard core groove to slip into . As far as punk goes "Punk Out" reminds me of DRI, they write a song that holds it's own against classic punk rather than just pretending to be Agent Orange or Gang Green. They close the album with "Leveling" which is another punk hybrid, though it relies more on pounding the anger into you than expressing it lyrically like the previous song.These guys have forged a solid slab of metallic punk that is equally dirty and abrasive.I'll give it an 8.5.If you miss back when Kylesa would really go balls out then these guys are a must. They play tonight at the Earl with Royal Thunder and Bask. 10 dollar Cover doors are at 7:30.



1/25 Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway
 1/26 Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone
 1/27 Little Rock, AR @ Vino's
 1/28 Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey
 1/29 San Antonio, TX @ Korova
 1/30 Austin, TX @ Empire
 1/31Houston, TX @ Rudyard's
 2/01 New Orleans, LA @ Siberia
 2/02 Panama City, FL @ Mosey's
 2/03 Orlando, FL @ Will's Pub
 2/04 Tampa, FL @ New World
 2/05 Jacksonville, FL @ Burro Bar
 2/06 Savannah, GA @ Jinx 8

9.1

Baroness : " Purple"

It would be next to impossible for this album to live up to the hype that precedes. The most pressing issue was vocalist John Baizley putting the Metallica like vocals  that plagued the last album in check . The horse has left the barn if you are expecting a metal record, it's firmly rooted in hard rock, while some of the riffs are catchy and tough , like Mastodon they are not going back to their old sound. While the lead single "Shock Me " is catchy it reminds me of late 90s post-hardcore bands, Handsome, which had members of Helmet in their ranks. The more post-punk croon of "Try to Disappear" is a direction that is even more appealing. The rough edges of their former sludgey past are nowhere to be found , but that is o.k. since the hooks are strong enough to make you forget it. I like their "Red" album, but have been a marginally fan at best since so I am not invested in their sound as some of their more devoted fan base might be. There is almost a more Minus the Bear element to the brisk paced "Kerosene".

The vocals are really well produced on this album and the use of effects often keeps them from having the beer rock sound of the last album.With slick little interludes that give a nod to classic rock things really get different on the Pink Floydian prog of "Chlorine & Wine". The tones milked from their instruments are outstanding, the vocals try harder and push out at muscular melody before going into a more arena rock sound. Dynamically way more colors are being infused into their sound. There is more drive to the more straight ahead "The Iron Bell" that puts the band closer to Torche in their attack. I prefer the more groove infused "Desperation Burns". Some of the atmospherics drizzled over the song in places are a little awkward, but over it rocks pretty solidly. With the song titled "If Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain)" I expected a power ballad, and it does back off to explore a more emotional side of the band. I am not sure I would go as far as calling it a ballad thanks to the drums which keep it moving ahead.

I think this is growth for the band , while the sound has familiar elements it is new for them and a much better turn of events than the previous. Does this belong on any top end of the year metal lists? Well if you are a pussy who think that this is metal, then there is no accounting for your taste in the first place. They certainly rock out here, but never get actually heavy, I think the Royal Thunder album which is most certainly just rock is heavier than this one, however this is a must if you are a fan of the band or the post- Helmet era of alt-rock from the late 90s. I'll give it an 8.5.

Niche : "Heading East"

The opening had almost too much of a Beatles vibe to it until the pounds into itself a little more firmly with the drums and the bass having to off set the vocals. It's pretty sunny, jangly and indie rock steeped in the bong water of the 60s.As far as guitar goes there are some very Allman Brothers moments in the harmonies. These guys are not slouches on their chops, they just aren't metal chops. It's not bad just different is the mantra to chant while getting acclimated to this album. There is a little more of a Fleetwood Mac thing going on with "When I'm Gone". The jam band like tendencies make it clear they are no strangers to the Grateful Dead. I can also hear some admiration for Paul Simon and Elliot Smith in the intervals the vocals choose. This is actually the band's third just the first being released by Retro Futurist , the metal connection do no end their as the band's  Keyboardist played with both Kylesa and Black Tusk.

The flower power begins taking over on "On Down the Line" , but the first verse has a pretty good groove that is hard to argue it eventually goes into something that sounds like Govt Mule jamming Santanna songs with Lynyrd Skynyrd. The transitions are seamless, and dynamic for this kind of thing they never seem to re-find the power of the punch the drums gave in the first song. They invoke the mellower side of Thin Lizzy on "Sweet Dear Annie". the singer does his best Phil impersonation. They try to go for Thin Lizzy's more rocking side on "Tough and Mean" and it doesn't sound as genuine to me as their hippy stuff. "Days to Come' sounds like Pink Floyd covering "Thank You". The breathy vocals effectively glide over the song. The embellishments further cement their musician ship. They do build this song up into a more sonic place before taking off into a proto-metal boogie.

The album cover is a pretty fair visual depiction of what to expect, perhaps it could have stood to be a little more retro, but the surreal elements find their way to the corners of most songs. Some times more than other it sounds like these guys have their own thing going, at others their influences overwhelm them. The more pot you smoke the better this album will sound. I don't smoke pot anymore so I'll give it a 7.5.

Kylesa : "Exhausting Fire"

Just when Deafheaven thought they were not going to have any competition this week the new Kylesa drops. The beginning of "Blood Moon" makes you think they are picking right back up at the same dark place they left off at, but then it launches into metal, that they are singing over rather than barking. Three minutes in a they drop back into the dark Doors like place. The opening riff to "Crusher" lives up to its name. Laura voice continues to evolve, the singing overall is stepping into a more confident direction. They drift back into the dark spaced out place and build back up into a some what sludged out riff. At this point it's clear they are neck and neck with Mastodon and have surpassed Baroness.

"Falling" the psychedelics prevail here. They used to cover Pink Floyd, so this side of the band should come as not surprise.  Laura's vocals have a more Siouxsie like croon to them. They find trippy groove that is more surreal than it jam band like. The solo slides in underneath the brief rumble. "Growing Roots" has an angular swagger to it, builds into more Hum like space rock. It eventually winds up into a more rock groove that some how manages to feel more like Kylesa . The more muscularly rumbling "Inward Debate", feels more like a Clutch riff and is a little on the busy side. So it's good they back off into what on first listen struck me as one of the better songs, because it has all the elements they excel at firing at full power. There is a really mean metal riff that lashes out from the more subdued vocal Laura exudes.

Next up is the fuzz out sonic "Moving Day" that reminds me a little of a Pixies song. The vocals have a more post-punk apathy on "Night Drive". The bass tone gets really weird. Laura's vocal become plaintive to the point they would not sound out of place on an indie rock album. There is more of a stoner metal chug to "Out of My Mind" that drifts in a cloud of bong smoke out into space. They continue to  converge back into the more metal chug after their spacey explorations threaten to drift out of orbit. The bass player goes into Geezer Butler mode on a midway into the song."Paranoid" is a drugged out cover of the Sabbath classic that finds the band bringing their own touch to it. It works for me at this tempo.

They close the album with the heavier yet very Sabbath like "Shaping the Southern Sky" . Laura says she is throwing caution to the wind and taking her chances again here. It does wander off into a more heady direction with the bass line holding down the fort. They bring the smack down when they lock back in for the happy ending that blazes out with solos in true rock god/goddess fashion. This one is easily rounded up to a ten as it

10.7