Today is the Day: "Animal Mother'

I have been enjoying this album for sometime, so I needed to make sure I had this out at least by the day it was dropped so here we go. It combines the best elements that we have seen from Steve Austin so far.Perhaps even more diverse than some of this band's other work. Certainly more melodic. It is also very dark which wins me over. I jumped on their band wagon in 97 with "Temple of the Morning Star" ...of course it had pentagrams all over the place.

This go around the drummer from Trap Them / Enabler is on board.There is a slight punk/ hard core element to "Sick of Your Mouth", it is of course more twisted like if there was a hard core band in Gummo. They hit you with a blur of speed on "Imperfection". The vocal are kind of barking behind the beat. The math rock drips from the cracks of this and other songs. It converges back in on it self to find the groove. They tread similar ground on "Law of the Universe" , but in a much more spastic manner.

They creep the fuck out on the acoustic version of "Outlaw" . Austin has become more comfortable with his voice. He relies on effects an layering less. When the noise laden rumble of "God Crutch" comes about I'd would say it is more sludge than doom.The bark of "Divine Reward" gives the new drummer a moment to shine.As a song I Would not say it's the album's strongest moment , but at under a minute how can it be ? "Masada" has come of the power as the Eyes of God days, the chug is powerful and vocals abrasive."Heathen" takes a cue from "Masada's" more syncopated section to hone it's punch. For this band to  capture the metal creepiness I think that sets them apart they need to circle the drain around the sound they explore in "Mystic" .

"Last Strand' finds Austin going back into math rock. It would be somewhat Mastodon, if the member's of Mastodon had not been so influenced  by there days in this band.There are some weird key boards dripping from the fissures of the riffs.Something really reminds me of the band Angkor Wat here as well. The metal version of "Outlaw" doesn't sound too different from the band I got into during the 90's. Sure the production is much denser.  They touch onto a creepy psychedelic folk ballad on Blood Wood" Then close out the song with the wild and crazy "Zodiac". I'll give this one a 9. Some of the more punk moments like the song that is under a minute, just are not what I love the most about this band, forgivable but keeps it from a perfect 10. You might not have this problem and only time will see how it sits with me in the long run , but I can say while it treads somewhat similar ground this album slays the new Melvins album.
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