No country has ever grabbed my attention more
than Australia, as it is there that many brilliant tunes started to emerge. “Clagg” and “Adrift for Days” have so far been proudly sitting in the top ten
list of my favorite bands, with cosmic vibes of the latter perfectly
complementing the sludgy riffs of the former. However, it was not until the
discovery of Horsehunter that I realized there was place for one more, not only
matching the mentioned bands in terms of quality and sound, but also to some
extent giving them a back seat.
Nothing in the world demands more attention than
a band that simply sounds huge, and no adjective more aptly or concisely
describes Horsehunter. Once the openings seconds of “Stoned to Death” punish your ears with massive, downturned to
ferocious degree and gargantuan riffs, all doubts regarding the quality of the
final product are immediately dispelled. Not only do you realize that you are
in for a long, catchy and simply heavy ride, but give it a chance to go for
numerous spins unlike anything you have ever heard before. No really,
Horsehunter’s blend of Clagg-inspired sludge, heavy doom and some slight
touches of stoner rock create a poisonous cauldron that will keep your ears
attached to the speakers for a huge number of spins.
Album’s Opener, “Stoner to Death” is my personal favorite here, with its heaviness
still resonating in my eardrum. No really, what these folks have achieved is a
top-quality piece of work. Starting with calm, psychedelic vibes, it quickly
evolves into catchy and lead-heavy sludge, with repetitive riffs paving its way
through any obstacles. It reaches the climax of heaviness from around 3:00, with
thick, plodding riffs leaving to mercy to anything standing on their way. Some short stoner rock solos water the
mixture down here and there, but the whole picture remains intact with the
total pace becoming faster as the song progresses further. It slows down closer
towards the end, justifying every moment with more atmospheric, but still
insanely heavy wall of sound wisely mixed with psychedelic solos and Sleep-like
vocals.
Caged in Flesh, the second track of the album
is nothing short of the quality of the opener, but is inferior in terms of
originality. Starting with somewhat catchy, groovy sludge-doom riffs, the track
delivers exactly what you would expect from top-quality sludge-doom band, with
guitars delivering long, drawn-out chord progressions with catchy drums keeping
you mesmerized throughout the first 3 minutes of the song. It is on this moment
that things get really SLOW, with catchy, Sourvein-styled riffs giving way to
slow, almost motionless comatose madness. Riffs pick up the pace as the track
lurches forward, rewarding the listener with top-quality sludge-doom dominated
by with massive guitar sound totally filling the soundscape. Heavily distorted guitars,
accompanied by downbeat drums set the foundation for the remainder of the song,
keeping you energized until the last seconds of this 12-minute monster. Nice
song, but not even near close to the perfection of album’s opener.
Anyway, to say that Horsehunter have produced a
great album would be an underestimation. They have delivered one of the best
albums in the genre, which could have been even better were it not for the
mediocrity of the second track. With thick, juicy sound, tailored to the needs
of all sludge enthusiasts, “Caged in
Flesh” is a solid addition to the Australian pantheon.
8.5/10
(Review by Den)
