Indian
Slights and Abuse / The Sychophant
Seventh Rule (2008)
"Apocalyptic" is a word thrown around a lot in reviews, to the point where readers could really stop putting any stock in it. But many genres, like black metal, drone, and probably even folk, really do have a few artists deserving of this most serious adjective because of their unnerving atmospheres and epic, timeless approaches. For the doom metal genre, Indian is definitely one of those bands of truly apocalyptic proportions. I'll tell you one thing: this band knows how to make one hell of an ugly doom album. While Indian's previous album, The Unquiet Sky, proved the band's ability to make dense, evil, groovy, and feedback-drenched doom, Slights and Abuse / The Sychophant (a compilation of two LPs onto one CD) shows simultaneously both progression of artistic vision and devolution into the rawest, most feral doom imaginable. The guitars and bass sound like bottomless pits of fuzz, the drums are spastic and relentless, and the vocals are wicked and throaty. The grooves are still there under all of the crushing sound, but they aren't as slow, comforting, and predictable as they used to be. There is not one breath of fresh air on this album; it's absolutely uncompromising, an … Read more
GREYMACHINE
Vultures Descend
Hydra Head (2009)
What do you get when you toss members of Jesu, Isis, Godflesh, House of Low Culture, The Lotus Eaters, Mamiffer … Read more
Swamp Thing
In Shame
6131 (2009)
Rob Gordon's first lines uttered in High Fidelity are What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about … Read more
The Mars Volta
Octahedron
Warner Bros. (2009)
Throughout their eight-year tenure as a band, The Mars Volta has never been timid about doing whatever they please. The … Read more
The Red Baron
My First Love
Blood & Ink (2009)
Christian hardcore isn't exactly my thing but I was willing to give The Red Baron's debut album, My First Love, … Read more
