Black Elephant : "Seven Swords"

Never checked out this Italian band before and I am pleased as hell at how bluesy they are. Sometimes I make comments about a band being jammy or perhaps doing something that works better live than on the album.This is an example of how to do those things in  way that works.. It is soaked in reverb, which is not the super fuzzed out in your face wall of vintage amps you normally get from this sort of thing. The second song is more jammy and is more of an instrumental than the first song that has sparse vocals but they were still there and it felt likea palnned song. I can totally hear how this would sound killer live, but it also ssounds killer and is a pleasure to listen to in my room at home.  The first thing that is really striking about this band aside from the killer guitar playing is the hazy way in which this was recorded .
"Yayoi Kusama" is more of a boogie. It reminds me of Atomic Bitchwax. The vocals are similar likea raspier version of David Grohl . Pretty much a fun party song. "Mihara' is more thoughtful and dynamic. It is less of a party song and more brooding in many ways. It is also darker though more of a jam. The vocals do not play as big of a role as they did in the previous song, though they do show up. It is doomier than what we have heard on this album so far.  "Red Sun and Blues Sun" is a very Sabbathy instrumental jam. The vocals return on "Seppuku" They havea grungey gravel to them, the song it self continues down the blues baked road they have been sunatering down over the course of the album.

The last song finds the vocals really making they mark as it is the singer's strongest moment. He soars up into his soulful upper register. It might be the album's best song. It has some balls , but I am not sure I would call it or any other song on this album metal. Black Sabbath started off as a blues band and this is the direction they are trying to head . I will round this album up to a 9 yes, it is jammy but they do it well and draw from familar influences while making them their own,