Artist: Meatjack
Label: At A Loss Recordings
Release Date: 9/9/03
Rating: 5 Skulls
|
|
Title: Days of Fire Artist: Meatjack Label: At A Loss Recordings Release Date: 9/9/03
Rating: 5 Skulls |
|
|
|
||
Reviewed by Redwolff (1/16/04):
Dammit!!! Dammit, dammit, dammit. I do this every year, I send in my end of the year 'best of' list and then, a week later, I find a CD from the previous year in my pile of things to review and wish I had included it. Of course, I had very few expectations for this CD because of the band's stupid name - Meatjack?? What are they implying here, that the band members could lift a car with their erect members should a mechanical jack not be available and the back tire is flat?For once, you cannot judge a band by its stupid name. This is a noisy, powerful album that combines riff-rock and stoner metal with harsh, almost hardcore-style vocals. Doom tempos are interspersed with sudden explosions of repeated phrases such as "Face down!" and "I will see you crawl!" Brief, experimental noodling breaks into an otherwise low speed song for a few seconds, just to keep you on your toes, and some tracks end with churning feedback or echoing minor guitar chords. The overall effect is confusing, but intriguing at the same time. They have been compared with Mastodon, but I could just as easily reference bands like Boris or Sunn0))), and maybe a little of later Clutch. Meatjack has the ability to turn from slow and hypnotic to fast-paced and rocking within the same song, and their lyrics suggest something a little dark and evil below the surface. I am absolutely hooked on the monumental last track, "Crawl," which is the album's longest song at over 12 minutes.
Possibly a bit too slow and noisy for some, but if you like sludge-y metal with unexpected twists, this may be a good fit for you. Days of Fire is a well-played, well-produced chunk of reigned-in chaos.
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.