#bluesfuneralrecordings — Public Fediverse posts

The best things in life often happen organically. Temptress1 began in 2019 in Dallas, Texas, as three friends casually jamming together, and they had enough natural chemistry to decide to take their alluring stoner doom to the studio. Like someone who is well-versed in the art of seduction, they appear to be working their way through each of the five senses. Their debut full-length, see, was born in 2023, but now the time has come to close your eyes and hear what Temptress has conjured up for their sophomore record.

hear is both more immediate and less straightforward than its predecessor. Temptress has livened up the laid-back stoner rock of see with copious amounts of grunge. Kelsey Wilson’s guitar lines are equally likely to slip into a hypnotic, looping groove as they are to burst into peppy riffs. The passages occasionally slow to a doomy plod or bear a passing resemblance to the psychedelic side of Messa. Regardless of style, much of the repetitive songwriting has been tightened across the board, making hear’s average track length and total runtime noticeably shorter.

hear by Temptress

hear is a concerted group effort that respects each member’s individuality. All three members share mic duty, which affords variety rather than synergy because most songs have only one vocalist (with the exception of some backing vocals during the chorus of “Narrows”). The ethereal female croons2 in “Edge” and “Downfall” tend to fit the music best; however, the singing elsewhere can sound a bit flat (“Now or Never,” “Narrows”), not quite matching the passion with which they play their respective instruments. Andi Cuba’s drumming has an endearing, quirky character—I like that intro track “Into” uses only tom and bass drums, although there are small annoyances such as the overuse of syncopation (“Edge”) or snare drum fills (“Downfall”). Christian Wright takes the lead with bass guitar in outro track “Out of,” which I hope to hear more of in the future.

Temptress is becoming adept at writing a cohesive record that keeps a live setting in mind. The first half is much more energetic, giving hear the initial impression of being front-loaded, but the back half contains additional nuance upon closer listening. “Be Still” and “Downfall” experiment with tempo shifts to overall success, save for the 30 seconds or so of dead time at the end of each track. The bookends tie hear together well as a package, with a crisp transition from “Into” to “Narrows” and “Out of” complementing the introduction neatly. The one song that I struggle with as a whole is “Now or Never” due to the deadpan vocals and repetitive lyrics, but the instruments are spirited enough that I can imagine that this would work better when performed live.

Temptress comes across as a tight-knit group that retains a refreshing “no expectations” attitude from their early jamming days. The stoner doom and grunge work very well together to produce plenty of enjoyable licks and riffs, although the vocals are something of a mixed bag. Temptress’ growth between see and hear is impressive. I’d like to see them continue to refine their more subtle, contemplative songwriting approach in addition to their more straightforward, bouncy side. All in all, what I’ve heard so far makes me eager to touch Temptress’ next album.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: temptressofficial.bandcamp.com | temptressofficial.com | facebook.com/temptressdfw
Releases Worldwide: January 23rd, 2026

Castle Rat – The Bestiary Review

By Saunders

New York’s Castle Rat generated buzz off the back of their impressive slab of fantasy-inspired doom rock featured on 2024s Into the Realm. A fuzzy, female-fronted doom act with sword and sorcery shtick and a theatrical, unabashedly old school bent, the debut featured tight, infectious songwriting and enough retro flair and heavy metal swagger to rise above the familiar, throwback nature of their craft. Of course, the debut had its detractors, with their theatrical antics, coupled with a not especially original sound, failing to match the hype for some listeners enamored with the heavily populated throwback doom rock/metal scenes. Striking while the iron’s hot, Castle Rat return in quick time with sophomore album, The Bestiary. A quickfire turnaround is a welcome thing, though creates a sense of trepidation of rushed work. Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) and her fellow minions return full of fire and ready to cast their doomy spell for the second time.

Castle Rat hit the ground running with their warm and cozy retro sound intact, albeit featuring a livelier, louder and more propulsive reiteration of the sound established on the debut. Whether listeners find their whole deal too gimmicky or not, it’s tough to doubt the authenticity and passion for their chosen style. Castle Rat channel a ’70s psychedelic haze, prominent Black Sabbath influence, and share surface similarities with acts such as the underrated and enchanting Purson, and modern stoner doom merchants Green Lung. The Bestiary is an altogether harder-hitting and boisterous entity compared to the debut, jacking up the NWoHM and fantasy-inspired bombast for extra crunch. “Phoenix I” unfurls in a slow-burning, dramatic and deliberate fashion, setting the scene for Pinkerton and co to unleash their full fury.

The Bestiary’s increased gallop and fiery guitar work ignite around the poppier sensibilities and smooth central doom grooves and prevalently catchy vocal hooks. Although not the most distinctive frontwoman in the biz, Pinkerton’s silky vocal hooks and confident, commanding delivery continue to a key focal point. Right out the gate, Castle Rat stockpile big-hitting rockers, courtesy of the bluesy doom swagger and earworm hooks of rollicking gems, “Wolf I” and “Wizard.” “Siren” keeps the good times rolling, employing tense rhythmic builds and seductively sinister vocals to cast its spell. There is an easy-to-like simplicity and infectiousness to Castle Rat’s songwriting that shines when the band’s craftsmanship is at its best. Dialing up the epic-ness and adding extra crunch and pepper creates a burlier, higher-octane effort. Within the rowdier experience, Franco Vittore (aka The Count) belts out some blazing solos, while lending doomy weight to straightforward rockers (‘Serpent, “Dragon”) and a grinding, ominous touch to “Unicorn.” Castle Rat’s willingness to experiment outside their comfort zone results in an adventurous, though mixed bag. The softer material nails mysterious, foreboding atmospheres and changes pace, though these shorter pieces are generally less engaging than the album’s rockier fare.

Amidst The Bestiary’s endearing and infectious songwriting, drawbacks appear, tainting an otherwise enjoyable opus. The bricked mastering and loud production detract from the music’s warmth and endearing charms. This issue is felt in numerous areas. The drums lack punch, the mix is squashed and muddied, while dynamic shifts, such as acoustic forays, or the noisy, climactic cacophony on “Unicorn” and “Sun Song” are sapped of their power, dulling impact. Another notable change from the debut is the increased runtime, climbing to nearly fifty minutes, in contrast to its predecessor’s refreshing efficiency. There are momentum drops and pacing issues. These factors and the front-loaded nature of the album contribute to bloat. An intro, outro, mid-album instrumental piece (“Path of Moss”) and three decent, acoustic-driven folkier tunes have their merits but combined contribute to pacing issues and overall padding.

Into the Realm was an impressive debut outing, signaling Castle Rat as a fresh force pedaling retro and fantasy-clad doom to strong effect. The Bestiary marks an ambitious, solid, if flawed follow-up. Significant production concerns and the aforementioned pacing issues, bloat, and an uneven backend detract from an album that reaffirms Castle Rat as a talented band with old school values and a vision to diversify their formula with intriguing results. While not everything hits the mark, there is still much to unpack, some killer tunes, and fun to be had. Hopefully Castle Rat can channel their creativity into a more consistent, tighter effort next time round.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 2304 kbps (Lossless)
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 19th, 2025

#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #BlackSabbath #BluesFuneralRecordings #CastleRat #DoomMetal #GreenLung #HeavyMetal #NWOBHM #Purson #Review #Reviews #TheBestiary

Castle Rat – The Bestiary Review

By Saunders

New York’s Castle Rat generated buzz off the back of their impressive slab of fantasy-inspired doom rock featured on 2024s Into the Realm. A fuzzy, female-fronted doom act with sword and sorcery shtick and a theatrical, unabashedly old school bent, the debut featured tight, infectious songwriting and enough retro flair and heavy metal swagger to rise above the familiar, throwback nature of their craft. Of course, the debut had its detractors, with their theatrical antics, coupled with a not especially original sound, failing to match the hype for some listeners enamored with the heavily populated throwback doom rock/metal scenes. Striking while the iron’s hot, Castle Rat return in quick time with sophomore album, The Bestiary. A quickfire turnaround is a welcome thing, though creates a sense of trepidation of rushed work. Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) and her fellow minions return full of fire and ready to cast their doomy spell for the second time.

Castle Rat hit the ground running with their warm and cozy retro sound intact, albeit featuring a livelier, louder and more propulsive reiteration of the sound established on the debut. Whether listeners find their whole deal too gimmicky or not, it’s tough to doubt the authenticity and passion for their chosen style. Castle Rat channel a ’70s psychedelic haze, prominent Black Sabbath influence, and share surface similarities with acts such as the underrated and enchanting Purson, and modern stoner doom merchants Green Lung. The Bestiary is an altogether harder-hitting and boisterous entity compared to the debut, jacking up the NWoHM and fantasy-inspired bombast for extra crunch. “Phoenix I” unfurls in a slow-burning, dramatic and deliberate fashion, setting the scene for Pinkerton and co to unleash their full fury.

The Bestiary’s increased gallop and fiery guitar work ignite around the poppier sensibilities and smooth central doom grooves and prevalently catchy vocal hooks. Although not the most distinctive frontwoman in the biz, Pinkerton’s silky vocal hooks and confident, commanding delivery continue to a key focal point. Right out the gate, Castle Rat stockpile big-hitting rockers, courtesy of the bluesy doom swagger and earworm hooks of rollicking gems, “Wolf I” and “Wizard.” “Siren” keeps the good times rolling, employing tense rhythmic builds and seductively sinister vocals to cast its spell. There is an easy-to-like simplicity and infectiousness to Castle Rat’s songwriting that shines when the band’s craftsmanship is at its best. Dialing up the epic-ness and adding extra crunch and pepper creates a burlier, higher-octane effort. Within the rowdier experience, Franco Vittore (aka The Count) belts out some blazing solos, while lending doomy weight to straightforward rockers (‘Serpent, “Dragon”) and a grinding, ominous touch to “Unicorn.” Castle Rat’s willingness to experiment outside their comfort zone results in an adventurous, though mixed bag. The softer material nails mysterious, foreboding atmospheres and changes pace, though these shorter pieces are generally less engaging than the album’s rockier fare.

Amidst The Bestiary’s endearing and infectious songwriting, drawbacks appear, tainting an otherwise enjoyable opus. The bricked mastering and loud production detract from the music’s warmth and endearing charms. This issue is felt in numerous areas. The drums lack punch, the mix is squashed and muddied, while dynamic shifts, such as acoustic forays, or the noisy, climactic cacophony on “Unicorn” and “Sun Song” are sapped of their power, dulling impact. Another notable change from the debut is the increased runtime, climbing to nearly fifty minutes, in contrast to its predecessor’s refreshing efficiency. There are momentum drops and pacing issues. These factors and the front-loaded nature of the album contribute to bloat. An intro, outro, mid-album instrumental piece (“Path of Moss”) and three decent, acoustic-driven folkier tunes have their merits but combined contribute to pacing issues and overall padding.

Into the Realm was an impressive debut outing, signaling Castle Rat as a fresh force pedaling retro and fantasy-clad doom to strong effect. The Bestiary marks an ambitious, solid, if flawed follow-up. Significant production concerns and the aforementioned pacing issues, bloat, and an uneven backend detract from an album that reaffirms Castle Rat as a talented band with old school values and a vision to diversify their formula with intriguing results. While not everything hits the mark, there is still much to unpack, some killer tunes, and fun to be had. Hopefully Castle Rat can channel their creativity into a more consistent, tighter effort next time round.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 2304 kbps (Lossless)
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 19th, 2025

#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #BlackSabbath #BluesFuneralRecordings #CastleRat #DoomMetal #GreenLung #HeavyMetal #NWOBHM #Purson #Review #Reviews #TheBestiary

Blue Heron – Everything Fades Review

By Carcharodon

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Blue Heron dropped their debut record, Ephemeral, in 2022. I remember briefly listening to it at the time, but it didn’t leave much of an impression. Dipping in again now, I think that was very much a Me Problem because Ephemeral was a solid slab of desert stoner rock, tinged with both blues and grunge. And I slept on it. Stoner is a genre mired in mediocrity but, for me, when a band hits its stride, it’s so goddamned satisfying. Bands like Kyuss, whom we’ll be hearing more about below,1 had this ability to just carry me away, born on the languid desert winds. Now back with their sophomore record, Everything Fades, whatever sort of journey Blue Heron wants to take me on, it’s one I’m determined not to sleep on!

On Everything Fades, Blue Heron picks up where they left off. And why not? They set themselves a great base to build on and have done so in every respect. Most of the material falls slap bang in the middle of a sand-swept bridge, leading between the lands of Kyuss and Sleep. Huge, distended guitars from Mike Chavez (ex-Spiritu) rumble and flow across a world drowning in reverb and languid melodies, while Steve Schmidlapp’s bass thrums its way through the open dunes. There’s also more than a bit of early Clutch (opener, “Null Geodesic”) and Orange Goblin (closer, “Flight of the Heron”) infusing the smoky sound on show. Not satisfied with the desert, however, Blue Heron skilfully weaves in Dirt-era Alice in Chains (particularly on “Swansong”), adding extra depth to their songwriting. The star of the show, however, is singer Jadd Schickler (also ex-Spiritu), who shows himself to be hugely versatile. His vocals range from a beautifully rich, bourbon-drenched husk that evokes Sleep’s Al Cisneros and early-career Neil Fallon, to a delicate bluesy style, which was uncannily familiar.2

Everything Fades truly kicks off the moment that Schickler’s gritty voice is first unleashed. After that, Blue Heron never looks back. The Kyuss worship is both clear and very well done (“Dinosaur” and “Trepidation”) but there’s a lot more going on than that. Both Jam Room-era Clutch and the rougher edge of early Down, or even Neurosis, shine through in places. It’s the title track that showcases Blue Heron’s absolute best, as the song glides effortlessly from Kyuss’ desert blues, Ricardo Sanchez’s drums awakening slowly from a sun-drenched daydream, to kick off into big, Orange Goblin stoner territory. At the three-minute mark, Schickler drops down from his coarse bellow, which perfectly tweeters on the verge of cracking, to a delicate croon, which reminded me most of Mark Lanegan.

Coming in at a tight 38 minutes, there is very little fat on Everything Fades, which is a welcome surprise for a stoner record.3 Indeed, Blue Heron show themselves to be very talented songwriters, with nearly everything they try coming off, feeling fluid, organic, and crucially, effortless. It has to be said that “Clearmountain” feels a bit light on ideas and notably weaker than the rest of the songs, with Schickler’s normally stellar voice also feeling like it’s straining. However, the lyrics for that track properly got me for some reason, as Schickler husks “Don’t stand upon my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep, I am the thousand winds that blow.”4 That slight misstep apart, the thing that really holds back Everything Fades is the production. At a shocking DR2, it often sounds shallow and crushed, with the drums eating up the space that should be available for the guitars (see “Bellwether” and “Flight of the Heron,” in particular). This is a real shame as Sanchez’s work behind the kit is solid and I love Chavez’s guitar tone, which sounds mellow and organic.

With Everything Fades, Blue Heron has improved on Ephemeral, showing themselves to be skilled songwriters. The songs flow and the album is at that perfect length where each time the last notes of “Fight of the Heron” fade out you’re left wanting just a little bit more. Undoubtedly a very good record, if Everything Fades had better production, it could easily have been a great one.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 2 | Format Reviewed: V0 VBR mp3
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: blueheronabq.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blueheronabq
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024

#2024 #35 #AliceInChains #AmericanMetal #BlueHeron #Blues #BluesFuneralRecordings #Clutch #Down #EverythingFades #Grunge #Kyuss #MarkLanegan #Neurosis #OrangeGoblin #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Sleep #StonerMetal #StonerRock

Blue Heron – Everything Fades Review

By Carcharodon

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Blue Heron dropped their debut record, Ephemeral, in 2022. I remember briefly listening to it at the time, but it didn’t leave much of an impression. Dipping in again now, I think that was very much a Me Problem because Ephemeral was a solid slab of desert stoner rock, tinged with both blues and grunge. And I slept on it. Stoner is a genre mired in mediocrity but, for me, when a band hits its stride, it’s so goddamned satisfying. Bands like Kyuss, whom we’ll be hearing more about below,1 had this ability to just carry me away, born on the languid desert winds. Now back with their sophomore record, Everything Fades, whatever sort of journey Blue Heron wants to take me on, it’s one I’m determined not to sleep on!

On Everything Fades, Blue Heron picks up where they left off. And why not? They set themselves a great base to build on and have done so in every respect. Most of the material falls slap bang in the middle of a sand-swept bridge, leading between the lands of Kyuss and Sleep. Huge, distended guitars from Mike Chavez (ex-Spiritu) rumble and flow across a world drowning in reverb and languid melodies, while Steve Schmidlapp’s bass thrums its way through the open dunes. There’s also more than a bit of early Clutch (opener, “Null Geodesic”) and Orange Goblin (closer, “Flight of the Heron”) infusing the smoky sound on show. Not satisfied with the desert, however, Blue Heron skilfully weaves in Dirt-era Alice in Chains (particularly on “Swansong”), adding extra depth to their songwriting. The star of the show, however, is singer Jadd Schickler (also ex-Spiritu), who shows himself to be hugely versatile. His vocals range from a beautifully rich, bourbon-drenched husk that evokes Sleep’s Al Cisneros and early-career Neil Fallon, to a delicate bluesy style, which was uncannily familiar.2

Everything Fades truly kicks off the moment that Schickler’s gritty voice is first unleashed. After that, Blue Heron never looks back. The Kyuss worship is both clear and very well done (“Dinosaur” and “Trepidation”) but there’s a lot more going on than that. Both Jam Room-era Clutch and the rougher edge of early Down, or even Neurosis, shine through in places. It’s the title track that showcases Blue Heron’s absolute best, as the song glides effortlessly from Kyuss’ desert blues, Ricardo Sanchez’s drums awakening slowly from a sun-drenched daydream, to kick off into big, Orange Goblin stoner territory. At the three-minute mark, Schickler drops down from his coarse bellow, which perfectly tweeters on the verge of cracking, to a delicate croon, which reminded me most of Mark Lanegan.

Coming in at a tight 38 minutes, there is very little fat on Everything Fades, which is a welcome surprise for a stoner record.3 Indeed, Blue Heron show themselves to be very talented songwriters, with nearly everything they try coming off, feeling fluid, organic, and crucially, effortless. It has to be said that “Clearmountain” feels a bit light on ideas and notably weaker than the rest of the songs, with Schickler’s normally stellar voice also feeling like it’s straining. However, the lyrics for that track properly got me for some reason, as Schickler husks “Don’t stand upon my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep, I am the thousand winds that blow.”4 That slight misstep apart, the thing that really holds back Everything Fades is the production. At a shocking DR2, it often sounds shallow and crushed, with the drums eating up the space that should be available for the guitars (see “Bellwether” and “Flight of the Heron,” in particular). This is a real shame as Sanchez’s work behind the kit is solid and I love Chavez’s guitar tone, which sounds mellow and organic.

With Everything Fades, Blue Heron has improved on Ephemeral, showing themselves to be skilled songwriters. The songs flow and the album is at that perfect length where each time the last notes of “Fight of the Heron” fade out you’re left wanting just a little bit more. Undoubtedly a very good record, if Everything Fades had better production, it could easily have been a great one.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 2 | Format Reviewed: V0 VBR mp3
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: blueheronabq.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blueheronabq
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024

#2024 #35 #AliceInChains #AmericanMetal #BlueHeron #Blues #BluesFuneralRecordings #Clutch #Down #EverythingFades #Grunge #Kyuss #MarkLanegan #Neurosis #OrangeGoblin #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Sleep #StonerMetal #StonerRock

Blue Heron – Everything Fades Review

By Carcharodon

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Blue Heron dropped their debut record, Ephemeral, in 2022. I remember briefly listening to it at the time, but it didn’t leave much of an impression. Dipping in again now, I think that was very much a Me Problem because Ephemeral was a solid slab of desert stoner rock, tinged with both blues and grunge. And I slept on it. Stoner is a genre mired in mediocrity but, for me, when a band hits its stride, it’s so goddamned satisfying. Bands like Kyuss, whom we’ll be hearing more about below,1 had this ability to just carry me away, born on the languid desert winds. Now back with their sophomore record, Everything Fades, whatever sort of journey Blue Heron wants to take me on, it’s one I’m determined not to sleep on!

On Everything Fades, Blue Heron picks up where they left off. And why not? They set themselves a great base to build on and have done so in every respect. Most of the material falls slap bang in the middle of a sand-swept bridge, leading between the lands of Kyuss and Sleep. Huge, distended guitars from Mike Chavez (ex-Spiritu) rumble and flow across a world drowning in reverb and languid melodies, while Steve Schmidlapp’s bass thrums its way through the open dunes. There’s also more than a bit of early Clutch (opener, “Null Geodesic”) and Orange Goblin (closer, “Flight of the Heron”) infusing the smoky sound on show. Not satisfied with the desert, however, Blue Heron skilfully weaves in Dirt-era Alice in Chains (particularly on “Swansong”), adding extra depth to their songwriting. The star of the show, however, is singer Jadd Schickler (also ex-Spiritu), who shows himself to be hugely versatile. His vocals range from a beautifully rich, bourbon-drenched husk that evokes Sleep’s Al Cisneros and early-career Neil Fallon, to a delicate bluesy style, which was uncannily familiar.2

Everything Fades truly kicks off the moment that Schickler’s gritty voice is first unleashed. After that, Blue Heron never looks back. The Kyuss worship is both clear and very well done (“Dinosaur” and “Trepidation”) but there’s a lot more going on than that. Both Jam Room-era Clutch and the rougher edge of early Down, or even Neurosis, shine through in places. It’s the title track that showcases Blue Heron’s absolute best, as the song glides effortlessly from Kyuss’ desert blues, Ricardo Sanchez’s drums awakening slowly from a sun-drenched daydream, to kick off into big, Orange Goblin stoner territory. At the three-minute mark, Schickler drops down from his coarse bellow, which perfectly tweeters on the verge of cracking, to a delicate croon, which reminded me most of Mark Lanegan.

Coming in at a tight 38 minutes, there is very little fat on Everything Fades, which is a welcome surprise for a stoner record.3 Indeed, Blue Heron show themselves to be very talented songwriters, with nearly everything they try coming off, feeling fluid, organic, and crucially, effortless. It has to be said that “Clearmountain” feels a bit light on ideas and notably weaker than the rest of the songs, with Schickler’s normally stellar voice also feeling like it’s straining. However, the lyrics for that track properly got me for some reason, as Schickler husks “Don’t stand upon my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep, I am the thousand winds that blow.”4 That slight misstep apart, the thing that really holds back Everything Fades is the production. At a shocking DR2, it often sounds shallow and crushed, with the drums eating up the space that should be available for the guitars (see “Bellwether” and “Flight of the Heron,” in particular). This is a real shame as Sanchez’s work behind the kit is solid and I love Chavez’s guitar tone, which sounds mellow and organic.

With Everything Fades, Blue Heron has improved on Ephemeral, showing themselves to be skilled songwriters. The songs flow and the album is at that perfect length where each time the last notes of “Fight of the Heron” fade out you’re left wanting just a little bit more. Undoubtedly a very good record, if Everything Fades had better production, it could easily have been a great one.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 2 | Format Reviewed: V0 VBR mp3
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: blueheronabq.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blueheronabq
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024

#2024 #35 #AliceInChains #AmericanMetal #BlueHeron #Blues #BluesFuneralRecordings #Clutch #Down #EverythingFades #Grunge #Kyuss #MarkLanegan #Neurosis #OrangeGoblin #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Sleep #StonerMetal #StonerRock

Horseburner – Voice of Storms Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard

I believe that the words I used when Steel informed me that a new Horseburner album was in the bin were, quote, “About fucking time!” Sure, it’s only been five years since The Thief, and in the grand scheme that’s nothing. I’ve tried on plenty of stoner/sludge/doom groups during that wait (when I wasn’t listening to Conan’s Existential Void Guardian for the zillionth time) but through it all I kept coming back to Horseburner. So as far as I’m concerned, a new Horseburner couldn’t arrive fast enough. After my time with Horseburner’s newest release, Voice of Storms, I can say with confidence that it’s not only a solid album of great Horseburner-brand sludge-prog jams, it’s a fascinating step forward for a band committed to evolving their style.

Horseburner’s usual comparisons to Mastodon, Baroness, and Howling Giant still hold up, but Voice of Storms reminds me more of Mastodon than ever before. “Palisades” in particular immediately made me think of Once More Round the Sun the first time I heard it; the guitars fly through frantic noodling and big, satisfying riffs, the vocals are a harsh but melodious growl, and the drum fills are constant. Even the less hyperactive songs like “The Gift” and “Heaven’s Eye” have a great Mastodon-esque sense of dynamic energy and momentum. The overall sound of Voice of Storms is a bit cleaner this time, with the guitar’s grit toned down from The Thief. I’ve always loved the edge that grit brought to Horseburner’s riffs, but Voice of Storms still has a satisfying, sludgy fuzz that’s a joy to experience.

Where The Thief saw Horseburner zeroing in on their sound and taking bolder strides in their songwriting, in Voice of Storms Horseburner expands on their songwriting abilities by refining them. Some of their more frenetic progressive tendencies have been eschewed for a tighter scope and stronger focus on melody, and the result is an album of distinct, highly memorable songs. Just after a first listen, every song sticks out even at a cursory glance; the insanely catchy melody in “Hidden Bridges,” the frantic pace of “Palisades,” the big, beefy riffs contrasting the lightning-quick verse in “The Gift,” or the sprawling, epic escalation of “Widow.” These core motifs make the songs easy to latch onto and highly re-listenable, but Horseburner’s real achievement is how energetic the music is while never losing control. This energy plays into the themes as well; Voice of Storms is an allegory for the mistreatment of women throughout history. The energy feels almost impossible to contain like it’s fighting against the limits of the songs themselves, and it gives Voice of Storms an unrelenting but thrilling pace.

If Voice of Storms were a vacuum, there would be scant little to complain about. The latter half of “Diana” starts to recycle ideas without enough escalation to justify the runtime, and I’ve never quite connected with the interlude “Silver Arrow,” but I struggle to muster any real annoyance. But while Voice of Storms is the more consistent album, the high points don’t hit quite as high as those from The Thief. Because of the toned-down grit, heavy riffs like those in “The Gift” or “Widow” don’t have a similarly massive impact as something like “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone.” That thick, crunchy tone paired with the violent riffage made The Thief’s best moments downright electrifying; I never had a similarly rapturous moment in Voice of Storms as I did the first time I heard “Fathoms.” Still, if this were somebody’s first Horseburner album, they wouldn’t be missing some crucial piece of the puzzle. But the crunchier elements from Horseburner’s past are somewhat missed by a curmudgeonly fan like me.

I know this review is late as sin, but I wanted to get it out there because Voice of Storms deserves your attention. Horseburner could have just made another Thief and I’d have eaten it up, but Voice of Storms comes from a yearning desire to never stop changing and the results are great. Maybe sometimes a few things are lost in the churn of evolution, and I’d love to see some of Horseburner’s heavier sensibilities return in the future, but it’s difficult to ignore Horseburner’s achievement here. Voice of Storms is well-written, full of energy, and is Horseburner’s most consistent release to date; this is a vital album for Horseburner fans and for anyone looking for a refreshing slab of dynamic sludge metal.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: facebook | bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: June 21st, 2024

#2024 #35 #AmericanMetal #Baroness #BluesFuneralRecordings #Horseburner #HowlingGiant #Jun24 #Mastodon #ProgMetal #Review #Reviews #SludgeMetal #StonerMetal #TheThief #VoiceOfStorms

Horseburner – Voice of Storms Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard

I believe that the words I used when Steel informed me that a new Horseburner album was in the bin were, quote, “About fucking time!” Sure, it’s only been five years since The Thief, and in the grand scheme that’s nothing. I’ve tried on plenty of stoner/sludge/doom groups during that wait (when I wasn’t listening to Conan’s Existential Void Guardian for the zillionth time) but through it all I kept coming back to Horseburner. So as far as I’m concerned, a new Horseburner couldn’t arrive fast enough. After my time with Horseburner’s newest release, Voice of Storms, I can say with confidence that it’s not only a solid album of great Horseburner-brand sludge-prog jams, it’s a fascinating step forward for a band committed to evolving their style.

Horseburner’s usual comparisons to Mastodon, Baroness, and Howling Giant still hold up, but Voice of Storms reminds me more of Mastodon than ever before. “Palisades” in particular immediately made me think of Once More Round the Sun the first time I heard it; the guitars fly through frantic noodling and big, satisfying riffs, the vocals are a harsh but melodious growl, and the drum fills are constant. Even the less hyperactive songs like “The Gift” and “Heaven’s Eye” have a great Mastodon-esque sense of dynamic energy and momentum. The overall sound of Voice of Storms is a bit cleaner this time, with the guitar’s grit toned down from The Thief. I’ve always loved the edge that grit brought to Horseburner’s riffs, but Voice of Storms still has a satisfying, sludgy fuzz that’s a joy to experience.

Where The Thief saw Horseburner zeroing in on their sound and taking bolder strides in their songwriting, in Voice of Storms Horseburner expands on their songwriting abilities by refining them. Some of their more frenetic progressive tendencies have been eschewed for a tighter scope and stronger focus on melody, and the result is an album of distinct, highly memorable songs. Just after a first listen, every song sticks out even at a cursory glance; the insanely catchy melody in “Hidden Bridges,” the frantic pace of “Palisades,” the big, beefy riffs contrasting the lightning-quick verse in “The Gift,” or the sprawling, epic escalation of “Widow.” These core motifs make the songs easy to latch onto and highly re-listenable, but Horseburner’s real achievement is how energetic the music is while never losing control. This energy plays into the themes as well; Voice of Storms is an allegory for the mistreatment of women throughout history. The energy feels almost impossible to contain like it’s fighting against the limits of the songs themselves, and it gives Voice of Storms an unrelenting but thrilling pace.

If Voice of Storms were a vacuum, there would be scant little to complain about. The latter half of “Diana” starts to recycle ideas without enough escalation to justify the runtime, and I’ve never quite connected with the interlude “Silver Arrow,” but I struggle to muster any real annoyance. But while Voice of Storms is the more consistent album, the high points don’t hit quite as high as those from The Thief. Because of the toned-down grit, heavy riffs like those in “The Gift” or “Widow” don’t have a similarly massive impact as something like “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone.” That thick, crunchy tone paired with the violent riffage made The Thief’s best moments downright electrifying; I never had a similarly rapturous moment in Voice of Storms as I did the first time I heard “Fathoms.” Still, if this were somebody’s first Horseburner album, they wouldn’t be missing some crucial piece of the puzzle. But the crunchier elements from Horseburner’s past are somewhat missed by a curmudgeonly fan like me.

I know this review is late as sin, but I wanted to get it out there because Voice of Storms deserves your attention. Horseburner could have just made another Thief and I’d have eaten it up, but Voice of Storms comes from a yearning desire to never stop changing and the results are great. Maybe sometimes a few things are lost in the churn of evolution, and I’d love to see some of Horseburner’s heavier sensibilities return in the future, but it’s difficult to ignore Horseburner’s achievement here. Voice of Storms is well-written, full of energy, and is Horseburner’s most consistent release to date; this is a vital album for Horseburner fans and for anyone looking for a refreshing slab of dynamic sludge metal.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Blues Funeral Recordings
Websites: facebook | bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: June 21st, 2024

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