the Top 10 Stoner Rock Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. This is not something I can just thumb back through reviews for , I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. Stoner rock in past years was often lumped in with sludge and doom, but this year I seperated everything out. Maybe these are not the hippest albums of the decade when it comes to this genre, btu what matters more is the fact these are the albums I listened to the most when it came to this sort of thing. ; Any ways here are the Top 10 Stoner rock  albums of the decade.



10- Uncle Acid & the Dead Beats - "Wasteland"-2018 








9-Blood Ceremony- "the Eldritch Dark " 2013




 




8-Electric Wizard - "Black Masses"- 2010








7-Atomic Bitchwax -"Force Field " 2017





 



6-Hippie Death Cult-"111"- 2019 








5- King Woman- Created in the Image of Suffering"-2017


 




4-Windhand- "Eternal Return"-2018








3- Queens of the Stoneage- "Villains"-2017 









2-the Devils Blood- "the ThounsandFold Epicentre" /2011 -









1-Clutch- "Psychic Warfare" -2015 





 

the Top 10 Stoner / Sludge Albums of 2018

It is that time again. This list was started because well doom and sludge are not the same thing. Neither is doom and stoner rock. While stoner rock and sludge are not the same thing, the lines seem to be blurred a little closer and basically this is about how much pot you are smoking. If you are smoking pot hoping for the apocalypse then you are sludge, you also probably like crusty punk. If you are riding around the desert smoking pot while hoping to find more pot to smoke while listening to Thin Lizzy you are stoner rock. But we are lumping them together, just like last year. The score from my reviews to help determine the ranking , but also how many times Last FM told me I listened to each album.An album can have all the critical acclaim in the world but if it does not inspire multiple listens then how good can it actually be ?

This year it leans more heavily on the side of between new blood being spilled and  more well established acts .  Rather than posting media of a track from each band I am leaving a link to the review, which will contain Bandcamp or Full Album Streams. Ok, enough talking about it, the time has come to dig into the top 10 Stoner /sludge albums of 2018.

10- Secret Cutter - "Quantum Eraser"

 Heavy... that is the mission statement here. This Trio is one of the band's whose name I am familiar with, but have never sat down to give a solid listen. Sludge seems to be the focus, though the spastic tormented vocals could come from a grind core band as they are not just the coarse bellow that booms from most sludge.I think they accomplished what they set out to do, If you are into sludge filled grind core with groove then this album is more for you. It grew on me the more I listened.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/06/secret-cutter-quantum-eraser.html

9- Wolftooth - s/t

 Imagine if Ghost was not pussies but hammered you with dense aggressive chugs. This is a good example of what separates the band's on this list from doom, it's to upbeat and focused on the chug to be doom, though not fast enough to be power metal or thrash, however they are the right speed to rip a bong to. Going back to listen to this album as I made this list reminded me of how good it is.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/01/wolftooth-st.html

8- Alkymist - "s/t"

 The first song on the band's self titled debut reminds me of a cross between Godflesh and Neurosis.I do think the difference between doom and sludge lies in the sense of mourning , and this album carries a dirtier more apocalyptic chug to it, that is being displayed here. I'm just working off my first impression of the opener so maybe their entire families get killed before the second song and the album takes a more despondent turn. I can also hear some Crowbar influence in the grunt of the vocals.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/alkymist-st.html

7-Uncle Acid and the Dead Beats - "Wasteland"

 When it comes to the retro style of stoner rock these guys feel like the Rob Zombie version of that as things have had a pulp horror feel to them. Their hippy side tends to win out, but this album finds the normally hard rock band leaning into a more Sabbath style of metal. The first two songs have a catchier swagger and chug to them. This is the strongest effort yet from the band.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/uncle-acid-and-deadbeats-wasteland.html

6-Besvärjelsen : "Vallmo"

 Blending a surreal darkness with doom tinged rock riffs these guys so deftly deal in. It's the more surreal swirl to their sound that helps elevate them from the rest of the retro occult rock. While they might not be as keen of songwriters as Devils Blood was they are going into a more drugged out direction. With some interesting melodic breaks these guys are like subtle weed as in they creep up on you and the songs often seep into your brain.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/besvarjelsen-vallmo.html

5-Sleep- "the Sciences"

 The first album in two decades from Sleep. If you are new to stoner metal and just crawling out from under a mushroom, then you might know guitarist Matt Pike from this other band called High On Fire. Al Cisneros who handles the vocals has also played in OM and this time they have the drummer from Neurosis sitting behind the drums. The vocals come across a little different than I remember. They are lower and not as soaked in effects.It does a good job of picking up where they left off. With these guys older and wiser the results don't come short of them proving themselves capable of sitting along side the like of Kyuss in the smoky halls of stoner metal royalty.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/sleep-sciences.html

4- Atlas Moth- "Coma Noir" 

 These guys have met at the cross roads of varied genres for sometimes. The consensus is these guys are sludge, though they have played black metal projects individually so that influence is there. They blend sung vocals with screamed vocals that are at a higher pitch bringing another comparison to black metal. There is a powerful metallic chug tothe grooves are to refined to be sludge. It almost borders on Myspace metal styled hardcore as the refinement of the riffs in some cases is a refined as say Atreyu. The way the guitars are layered sometimes it's hard to tell if they are using synths or heavily effected guitars.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-atlas-moth-coma-noir.html

3- Fister - "No Spirit Within" 

 This album has plenty pf the wretched vocal howls and crunching slabs of low tuned riffs as it also creates a mood that poses the question where does doom begin and sludge end. They often have a woeful feel until things begin to pick up pace. The guitars capture a sonic atmosphere that's dark and impresses me. They go from almost jamming to the guitars becoming a demolishing swathe of pounding distortion. They weave in interesting shifts in dynamics which doesn't go into all the normal places as the band keeps you guessing with their affinity for haunting melody.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/fister-no-spirit-within.html

2 Windhand- "Eternal Return"

 While they are still fixated on Sabbath like overdrive, the vocals have more hooks and they are sharper. Her lazy alto floats over the thick riffs. This is a good example of how I don't need the wheel reinvented I just need bands to give it their own spin. They step away from the bong to indulge in smokey country with a blues underbelly. This might be their most balanced album yet and shows a ton of maturity in their refined songwriting.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/windhand-eternal-return.html




 


1-Ilsa- "Corpse Fortress"

 This band is refusing to hold back on  on their debut for Relapse Records. The band's 5th full length finds them continuing to hammer skulls in with the sheer density of their blown out sludge. Dirty and squealing with feedback. The vocals are phrased in a way that that give the coarse scathing shouts almost more of  sung feel. The lyrics cut through better with this delivery. They shift back into more of a low end pounding that owes more to doom when it comes to the ominous rumble as the momentum continues to build. The flatulent bass can be heard in the din at times, but it generally hits you as one frequency. This album earned multiple listens I think it is a huge step forward for the band


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/ilsa-corpse-fortress.html

Windhand : "Eternal Return"

While they are still fixated on Sabbath like overdrive, the vocals have more hooks to them and float over the thick riffs in a way that make the perfect stoner grooves. There is more atmosphere on "Grey Garden" before a guitar solo rips them back into the main riff. This is a good example of how I don't need the wheel reinvented I just need bands to give it their own spin. When we get to the strum of "Pilgrims Rest" there is a hard right turn away from not only doom , but stoner rock as a whole. It's like smoky country with a blues underbelly. They come back harder on "First to Die" . This sounds more impressive when the bass hits you with it's rumble at the beginning, but this impact wanes by the end of the song. Her vocals do pick up some of the slack by the end. 

"Red Cloud" has the grooving rumble more common place in stoner  metal. What makes this stoner metal rather than doom you ask ? The tempo factors in , but it never has a dark mourning or evil feel. One question that you can ask at home is does this music make me want to slit my wrists at a graveyard or load up the bong? The bulk of the album is made up of pretty concise songs. There are only two songs that wind out into the double digits one of these being "Eyeshine" . The tempo drops and darkness spreads making the this first song that crosses over into doom. So it's something they dabble in rather than define themselves by. Truth be told they are better at a higher bpm. This song drags  

There is a darker plod to "Diablerie" though it's a little faster than the previous song, it still sits closer to stoner metal than doom. The vocals have more of a refined melody.  This is also the single (see below) so it makes sense it would have a more alternative grunge feel like Dinosaur Jr . This grunge tone carries over into a more Nirvana like strum, which while it is wildly different than what I except from these guys makes it still a really good song with a melancholy mood. It reminds me of "Something In The Way". I'll give this album a 9 it might be their most balanced album yet and shows a ton of maturity when it comes to songwriting.

Inter Arma : " Paradise Gallows"

The third album from this Virginia band gets adventurous. "An Archer in the Emptiness" is pretty fucking heavy, but I would not go as far as to say this band really defies genres. This song is death metal. The vocals are lower and more brutal than I remember these guys being. Some of the Neurosis sludge tendencies I remember this band for begin to rise up on "Transfiguration". It does speed up into a little more blackened blend of death metal, but I don't think this band is really about bringing that brand of darkness. People who think Withered are death metal might think the same thing about these guys though. They sound much heavier when they slow down to smell the napalm.I do like how the song builds up at the end and this drummer is no joke. The drummer handles the skins for Windhand live, but he can kick up some speed. The guitarists and vocalist are from Bastard Sapling, so they are capable of bringing a more blackened flavor to the table, but I don't think that is what the bass player and drummer are really feeling. The vocals take on more of a sung tone on "Primordial Wound". There is more of a droning lumber here that might remind you of Atriarch. The problem with this being that I already own Atriarch's albums so if I want to hear them I'll listen to them. The vocalist is very versatile, so he gets props for delivering more than just one kind or growl or scream.

The singer delivers more of a Jim Morrison like croon at the beginning of "the Summer Drones" . This is the first song that grabs me as being something different. I liked the first actual song, but this one is just written with more personality. At under seven minutes this one gets to the point and doesn't try to live up to it's name and drone you to sleep, instead it hits the sweet spot where it's as heavy sonically as it is metal. "Potomac" is a well played instrumental, but it drifts into this second act of the album where things start getting post-metal on us. This leads to some bong fueled Pink Floyd like vocals on the title track. This eventually leads us back to irrefutable Neurosis worshipping. The guitar solo is the only thing that is not like Neurosis. "Violent Constellations" find them wavering in a stomping variation of blackened sludge. Things get weird midway into it as the guitarists start tinkering around. They begin to pull out weird chaotic mathy riffs.

They are really committing to the clean vocals on this album as they end with a song that is more like Nick Cave than any kind of metal. This album is very ambitious and they grew from all the chances they took with it. I'll give it an 8.5...Relapse is releasing this album July 8th.

Cough : "Still They Pray"

This self professed stoner sludge band, gives us the chance to explore where the lines between sludge and doom lie. The opener is dense and has a more impressive vocal performance than I expected. It is slow and powerful, but the raw fuzzed out distortion hits you more like a wall than wallows in the mournful atmosphere. About six minutes into the lumbering 8 minute jam it's sluggishness strikes me as slightly repetitive. So this may or may not be an ill omen of what's to come for the seven other songs to come. With members from Windhand and the Sword there is no doubt in regard to the caliber of these guys talent. There is more of a snarl to "Possession" that brings the band Indian to mind. The clean vocals remind me a little more of Mudhoney when they come in. This brings up an interesting point which is sludge tends to have more punk roots than doom, which is a more un-apologetically metal genre.

With "Dead Among the Roses" the lyrics take on a  a darker and more sorrow prose. the vocals are a tenor sneer with enough of an edge to it to not sound like an Ozzy wannabe. They drone on the same riff spicing it up with a guitar solo here and there. The slowly begin pressing down on the gas to accelerate. "Masters of Torture" finds the vocals get nastier as the music slows to a more oppressive pound. I like the chant of " live to hate , hate to live" There is more disgust than depression here. There is a stab at actual singing on "Let it Bleed". The instrumental jam "Shadow of the Torturer" is one of those songs I can hear going over well live, but little more than back ground music when playing it at home.

The more anguished drone of "The Wounding Hours" that really benefits from the pulse of the synth beneath it it more engaging than the previous song. Vocally the harsh screams are emoted from a place similar to Eyehategod here. The title track is an acoustic ballad , which is pretty straightforward almost folk. This is good for what it is, I can let it play, but nothing too ground breaking I'll give it a 7.5.

The Top 10 Stoner / Sludge Metal Albums of 2015

As the title of this list suggests some of these albums are stoner metal, some are sludge, but even within the confines of those two sub-genres these bands often push the bounds. Some also add elements of post-rock, doom, black metal and straight up rock n roll. While Sludge is heavier and grittier than stoner metal, we are not accepting just straight up Sabbath worship so there is more common ground than just sharing the bong, though that can not hurt to help ingest these albums to there full potential, though I can attest to the fact that they can be just as potent in an unaltered state. To get a taste click on the review link.

 10-He Whose Ox is Gored: "the Camel the Lion the Child"

 This Seattle band has been called progressive doom gaze, but progressive sludge is more apt to describe their sound. They often go from Isis like bellowing to a monotone chant that indie minded metal bands like Jesu use , but these are harmonized making them thicker. They have a great guitar tone and the album is really well produced with their drummer really knowing how to get the groove and play around it.They eventually come to a place of slinky atmospherics with higher androgynous vocals that bring to mind Circa Survive . At times this band comes across as a more mature and thoughtful version of the prog-minded emo bands that came out in the last days of Myspace. This albums takes a few listens to finally sink in, but when it does you will find it work the wait.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/he-whose-ox-is-gored-camel-lion-child.html

9- Sans Soleil: "A Holy Land Beneath a Godless Sky"

  Beautifully mournful in it's melancholy, my first impression of this band was that they bordered on funereal doom. This Texas band carries you off into a four song excursion  that flows like an  ocean of tranquil despair.The narrative voice of the album is a viola that drips off  of the riffs.If you were  digest this album as if it were  a strictly a metal affair, you might notice that the void left by the absent vocals. The  arrangements keep this missing component well hidden. If this was funereal doom band the guttural gravel of phlegm drenched vocal chords would actually be another layer to the bottom end. The viola instead of trying to replace the vocals occupies that space the lead guitar melody would sit in. The spacious sound could edge this towards being post-rock, as an instrumental project they ravish a similar sonic sphere as Godspeedyoublackemperor. As the aural journey progresses  their trip takes a  darker turn. The bass player drifts  into a stoned jam of his own wandering around under the guitar solo, that rips like 70's freedom rock.They lack the mournful tone of doom , but trippy and aggressive enough to belong here, though metal heads will need to have broadened horizons to embrace this album.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/01/sans-soleila-holy-land-beneath-godless.html

8- Serial Hawk -"Searching For Light"

 With the heavy legacy of grunge haunting their homestead, this Seattle takes an approach more akin to the Melvins and Tad than any of their flannel clad forefathers. The vocals are forced out in a throaty shout, with the guitars being the focus of more melody. The bass and drums work together as a punishing unit with machine like precision. They are oppressive like sludge rather than invoking the morbid sense of loss of doom. The pace lumbers with the liberate stomp of a juggernaut. They are heavy, but not weighed down with the typical trappings of metal.I think these guys captured what they do best in the studio and look forward to hearing where they go from here. These guys are just as good as anything else along these lines I have heard from bands backed by records labels so someone is really losing out on a ton of potential until these guys are picked up, I guess for what ever a record label is worth these days if anything.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/serial-hawk-searching-for-light.html

7- Vaee Solis:" Adversarial Light "

 This band from Portugal takes some of the most hateful vocals to touch a microphone and throws them against some depraved riffs to make for music that brings an uneasy feeling when you are listening to it alone .  The production that makes this possible is impeccable and milks the most anguish out of their performance as possible. The initial slap of this band is powerful, but how well can they you in this mental state for the duration of the album or do we just go back to color by numbers metal?  Equal parts sludge and doom. The have the disdain for melody that a band like Eyehategod possess , but less of the punk aesthetic and a heavier  emotional presence . They use some of  tricks from the ultimate book of  doom metal, but molest them with their malicious intentions. Though some of the songs seem to drag at times this is the only one that goes past the nine minute mark. I have gotten tired of some of the twelve plus minute epics so many bands to so these guys keep that normally reigned in, but if you are going to write a long song you have to have the dynamics to make it pay off. They beat the dead horse in manner that can be pleasing to morbid ears.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/vaee-solis-adversarial-light.html

- Wand: "Golem"

 I have been over the so called "occult rock" bandwagon for some time now,  which was also known as vest metal, the Devil's Blood influenced the sound of many of those bands, the formula was retro fuzzed guitar and a female singer. It was stoner rock of a different color and dressed up in pentagram etched bell-bottoms. So this California band, who might not fit neatly into that scene , though carries a similar sound, gets credit for grabbing my ear. Wand released  this album on an imprint of Ty Segall's Drag City label. The feature an ex-member of Pangea, if that matters to you. They get called garage rock and while there is that sort of sound to the drums, they are more entrenched in psychedelia with an almost metal thump to the bass lines. The real question you might want to ask yourself as how far down the rabbit hole do you want to go. It might not be your thing if you have never done drugs before, I recommend starting with pot and working work way up, but you don't have to plunge your self into a Fear and Loathing lifestyle to enjoy "Golem", but it would be a whole lot cooler if you did.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/wand-golem.html

5-Clutch: "Psychic Warfare"

 These guys have been at it for a while now and have developed more of straight up rock fee and less of the bouncing , chanting stoner version of nu-metal they came out with in the 90s. They know how to write a catchy chorus and doesn't take long to hear how these guys have made the name for themselves. Singer Neil Fallon throws his voice around with tons of personality.They knowingly wink at their influences ZZ- Top and If I still smoked pot I am sure they album would sound all the better , but even as is it grew on me as these guys really crafted this well.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/clutch-psychic-warfare.html

4- Windhand : "Grief's Eternal Flower"

 This is the third full length from a band who has been the darlings of the metal blog-o-sphere since hitting the scene. On this album they have begun to move out from behind the altar of  Black Sabbath not the fuzzed out but carrying a hypnotic quality to the rumbling drone they kick up . The melodies seem more secure in their languid state and provide the needed sheen over the blown out distortion coming from the amps. The powerful vibrations the first song hits you with causes a similar reach most extreme metal also solicits in that you are wowed by the power so it doesn't matter how good the actual song is if the sound that hits you is solid.They begin sounding less like doom and more like grunge , namely Screaming Trees. It actually benefits this band that level of Black Sabbath worship has decreased and singer Dorthia Cottrell is really coming into her own as a singer and finding her identity, I suppose the solo album helped get her to this place. While some might consider this band to be doom, I am so used to listening to darker drearier funeral doom, until it feel more like sludged out stoner rock. They impressed me this time around and I looked forward to hearing here they go from here.
 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/windhand-greifs-infernal-flower.html

3- Irreversible- S/T

 Even though these are guys are from my current city of residence I am not going any easier on them than I would any other band.The Atlanta sludge band has been around for  a decade now so they have time to hone their sound. Like most Atlanta metal bands they started off with more punk roots and later morphed into something more metallic until now they share a similar landscape to their sound as Isis. After a wash of atmospheric sounds the almost math rock of "Undertow" lurches into motion. This album is very well produced for an independent release. The first vocals to surface are some monotone Jesu like cleans.The drummer is not a slouch either.Some of the more chuggy moments, barrow from the pillars of the genre all the bands like Isis that engaged in Neurosis worship in the early 2000s. Some times the tightness even creates a Tool like feel.This is one of the few local bands that makes me want to leave the couch with this album and go check them out, fans of sludge and post-rock should not miss this one.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/irreversible-st.html

2- Ragana :"Wash Away"

 There is a slight touch of black metal to these gals , but it's when they lock into the crusty bong loaded grooves that this album soar. Sometimes tribal in it's lumber they coast into hypnotic riffs with the vocals screaming over it. The folkish vibe of the earlier work now gives way to more of an indie rock feel. There is a vast growth in their songwriting as it's both delicate and dynamic. At times it might remind you of Kylesa's more atmospheric wanderings, flowing back and forth from the slow to soft dynamic very smoothly despite the jarring nature.They pull very emotionally raw and organic tones out of their guitars in almost a grunge like manner , though this is mixed with almost early post hardcore while lingering around a melancholy throb of guitar. If you have not heard this band do yourself a favor and click on the link below, they will go down as the years most under rated band.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/ragana-wash-away.html

1- Kylesa : "Exhausting Fire" These Savannah rockers continue to evolve, in someways that makes them progressive , since they are not where I first found them when I picked up a copy of "To Walk a Middle Course" ten years ago. There sludge roots are still intact but they have enough dark psychedelics is place to appeal to the hesher sect. They used to cover Pink Floyd, so this side of the band should come as not surprise.  Laura's vocals which have continues to grow sometimes take on a more Siouxsie like croon to them. There are plenty of balls this times around injected to these heavy grooves. After a dazed and glazed cover of the Sabbath classic "Paranoid" the path of the band is best in explained in the lyrics of the closing song where Laura says she is throwing caution to the wind and taking her chances again here. Even when they wander off into a more heady direction the bass line holds down the fort, until they bring the smack down the happy ending that blazes out with solos in true rock god/goddess fashion. Another moment of triumph for this band. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/kylesa-exhausting-fire.html

Windhand : "Greif's Infernal Flower"

This is the third full length from a band who has been the darlings of the metal blog-o-sphere since hitting the scene. On this album they have begun to move out from behind the altar of  Black Sabbath not the fuzzed out but carrying a hypnotic quality to the rumbling drone they kick up . The melodies seem more secure in their languid state and provide the needed sheen over the blown out distortion coming from the amps. The powerful vibrations the first song hits you with causes a similar reach most extreme metal also solicits in that you are wowed by the power so it doesn't matter how good the actual song is if the sound that hits you is solid. Her vocals on "Forest Clouds" are really the only thing that distinguishes this from the opener to me. The drummer s a little more active on this song. Lyrically I'm not sure how tucking some one into bed has anything to do with the song unless its about a mother killing her children.

It's on "Crypt Key" where they begin sounding less like doom and more like grunge , namely Screaming Trees. Not that this is bad the level of Black Sabbath worship is decreased and singer Dorthia Cottrell is really coming into her own as a singer and finding her identity, I suppose the solo album helped get her to this place. "Tanngrisnir" has an almost Alice In Chains quality to the layered vocals. While these guys are doom, I am so used to listening to darker drearier funeral doom, until it feel more like sludged out stoner rock. "Sparrow" drops down into more of a folk ballad. Her voice adds a blues tinged husk to the reflective tenderness, that laments what sounds to be a toxic relationship.There is something about it that reminds me of Dax Riggs ballads like "Dead Girl".

There is a heavier crunch to "Hyperion" that takes the album on a doomier turn. The melodies that ride the riff on more of the laid back Alice In Chains qualities. "Hesperus" is only a few degrees different with her vocal melody the key element to providing distinction between the two songs, until it picks up pace and begins to build toward the end. They seem to firing on all cylinders on "King Fisher" which best blends the rumbling doom riffage with her smooth vocals style that is poured over the bass heavy vibrations.In the song's final five minutes they dip into a  some what trippy passage that really adds to the dynamics of the album as a whole. They close the album with another dip into  blues colored folk. This album is a big improvement for the band they have really grown as song writers. Up to this point I was indifferent towards them and now they are on my radar and I will be paying much closer attention, so I shall give this one a 9. Coming out September 8th on Relapse Records.

Dorthia Cottrell : s/t

The lead singer from Windhand has released her first solo album. Truth be told I have never been blown away by Windhand.It starts off dark and blues, her voice is sultry and strong, then on "Gold" a country element begins to creep in. This is not pulled off in the same manner as say Marissa Nadler and sounds more like a Bonnie Raitt unplugged album. Her song writing is pretty bare bones and the instrumentation is sparse. She gets away with this at first. The songs are to the point so don't drag, there might be a little different flavor of haunting on "Oak Grove" but the guitar in the distance makes it sound too much like the previous song. If the instrumentation on songs like this was given a helping hand by drums or piano she might have sold me on this. Her voice is good , but not good enough to carry songs on an empty stage. She fares better on the country blues collision that reminds me of the Cowboy Junkies on "Orphan Bird" We are back to just the tentative strum of guitar and her vocals double tracked up front.

 Perhaps if her lyrics were more convincing this would be an easier sell, since her voice is right out in the open then you would think she had better have something to say. The more down home country flavor to " Maybe it's True" sound like K.D Lang with less dynamics.It's one of the longest songs on the album at seven minutes but doesn't go anywhere. She works better in more of that Cowboy Junkies place as demonstrated on "Moth". When she is harmonizing with herself she captures a unique quality, but laid bare bones just strumming a chord, it's a snooze fest.Eight songs into the album I find myself really struggling to get through the whole thing, but I force myself and press on. She doesn't touch on any new ground on "Kneeler" and is a far cry from Chelsea Wolfe when it comes to being able to pull this off with just a guitar in hand. "Rake" is barely a shade different from the previous song. It's more tedious guitar strumming, which if you are going to go that route you might as well put a little more into the playing and bang the hell out of it to create dynamics, which is why this album is flat as a table.

 The country comes out on "Perennial" which feels better than the bulk of the album up to this point , but it is too little too late. The country guitar in the background is really sticking to the color by numbers country intervals. The chorus doesn't jump out and grab you. The album closes with " Song For You", there is not much feeling coming from it or the album as a whole ,normally female singer are able to inject some sort of sex into their singing even if it's not intentional objectification even Chelsea Wolfe does it, Marisa Nadler does it and even Laura from Kylesa does it , its just a quality the female voice has , but little is done to inject that. Making the moments that should be more personal, come across as bland.  Said about al there is to say about this one I'll give it a 4.5, maybe she will take something away from this an apply it to Windhand to make them more interesting.