WHAT
MATTERS MOST IS HOW WELL YOU WALK THROUGH THE FIRE
Buzzherd
makes me think of pirates. Though
they’re five landlubbers from Pennsylvania, the combination of their sludge /
thrash sound and album title just does it for me. I suspect that while the rest of us are out
“finding ourselves”, these guys are busy swashbuckling from chandeliers. That’s not say that this is all cute fun and
games, there’s hell to pay on this record.
It’s easy to get lost on this sinking ship, the band pulls you down in a
quagmire of syncopated song structures as the sludge levels rise past the knees
and up to the chest while your arms thrash about looking for a way out, but
never find one. Before you know it …
glub, glub, glub … you’ve been drowned and swashbuckled.
I’m not
sure what a “typical” sludge album consists of, but I know you won’t find it
here. Buzzherd bulrushes the listener,
after a mighty drag ‘em out, knock ‘em down struggle, they crash the gates and
storm the altar. After a short count-in,
the band launches immediately into the verse of opening track “Abuse of
Despair”, keelhauling the listener through the mud before raising topsail and hitting
a 20+ knots pummeling of double time drums and slashing guitars, moving from
strength to strength.
Roaring
vocals and churning rhythms make the head swim, ‘On Sinking Ships …’ is not an
album for those afflicted with motion sickness.
Never relying on atmosphere alone, there’s always something going on in
this record, each track is a constant builder and all five of them are excellent. But through all the busy-ness and twisting
tempos, the riffs remain deliberate and the structures remain methodical. Pure aggression is the guiding light here and
tension is built and held up to the breaking point at every turn.
Album
centerpiece “The Maloik” has a Slayer feel without going overboard, this is
hell on the high seas. A pandaemonic main
riff, a slow build-up of pounding wave crashing atmosphere from the drums and
menacing vocals make this a true standout track. It’s the one I’ve been keying on every time I
listen to this album, it’s a moody, dynamic builder and its infernal heat is more
than enough to lather the sweat under my mustache.
This is non-hipster
metal for those unashamed by their own negative emotions. This is cathartic music loaded with riffs and
moments. This is a mysterious recording
because it’s unclear how one plays guitar and drums with hooks for hands. Just press play on the player below and let
the headbanging commence.
Highlights include: "The Maloik" and "Indrid Cold"
Rating: 4.5/5
Total Run Time: 28:11
Genre: Sludge Metal, Thrash, Doom
Reminds me of: Breathe Fire, Crowlord, Diesel King, Hollow Leg, Vykanthrope
Release Date: December 10, 2013
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