• About
    • Comments Policy
    • The Staff
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Staff Playlists
    • Staff Picks
    • PSA
  • Reviews
    • Reviews – Books
    • Reviews – Audio
    • Reviews – Classics
    • Reviews – Visual
    • Reviews – Live
    • Reviews – Vinyl
  • Blogs
  • Contact Us
Hellbound.ca - FOR THE LOVE OF METAL FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
  • Features
    • Mayhem & Mortiis Live Review – Glasgow, UK
      Mayhem & Mortiis Live Review – Glasgow, UK
    • Opeth, Mastodon and Khemmis – Live Gallery: Toronto, ON – April 22 2022
      Opeth, Mastodon and Khemmis – Live Gallery: Toronto, ON – April 22 2022
    • Leprous and The Ocean – Live Gallery: Charlotte, NC
      Leprous and The Ocean – Live Gallery: Charlotte, NC
  • Interviews
    • A chat with IRON VOID
      A chat with IRON VOID
    • Jungle Rot interview – Dave Matrise, May 2019
      Jungle Rot interview – Dave Matrise, May 2019
    • Interview: NECROT
      Interview: NECROT
  • Live
    • Mayhem & Mortiis Live Review – Glasgow, UK
      Mayhem & Mortiis Live Review – Glasgow, UK
    • Opeth, Mastodon and Khemmis – Live Gallery: Toronto, ON – April 22 2022
      Opeth, Mastodon and Khemmis – Live Gallery: Toronto, ON – April 22 2022
    • Leprous and The Ocean – Live Gallery: Charlotte, NC
      Leprous and The Ocean – Live Gallery: Charlotte, NC
  • Audio
    • Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit
      Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit
    • S-E-R-V-I-C-E – Drag Me LP
      S-E-R-V-I-C-E – Drag Me LP
    • Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit LP
      Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit LP
  • Video
    • Mayhem & Mortiis Live Review – Glasgow, UK
      Mayhem & Mortiis Live Review – Glasgow, UK
    • Leprous and The Ocean – Live Gallery: Charlotte, NC
      Leprous and The Ocean – Live Gallery: Charlotte, NC
    • Paradise Lost & Moonspell – Glasgow, UK
      Paradise Lost & Moonspell – Glasgow, UK
  • Classics
    • Jane’s Addiction – “Stop!”/”Three Days” and “Been Caught Stealing” 12” singles
      Jane’s Addiction – “Stop!”/”Three Days” and “Been Caught Stealing” 12” singles
    • Richard Hell and the Voidoids – Blank Generation [reissue] LP
      Richard Hell and the Voidoids – Blank Generation [reissue] LP
    • The Lorrainas – Party ‘Til It’s Dark [Reissue] LP
      The Lorrainas – Party ‘Til It’s Dark [Reissue] LP
  • Vinyl
    • S-E-R-V-I-C-E – Drag Me LP
      S-E-R-V-I-C-E – Drag Me LP
    • Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit LP
      Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit LP
    • Booze & Glory – Raising The Roof 12” EP
      Booze & Glory – Raising The Roof 12” EP
  • Books
    • Boots ‘n Booze (comic book w/ 7” single)
      Boots ‘n Booze (comic book w/ 7” single)
    • Shellshock Rock: Alternative Blasts From Northern Ireland 1977-1984
      Shellshock Rock: Alternative Blasts From Northern Ireland 1977-1984
    • Irish Service Women In The Great War: From Western Front to Roaring Twenties by Barbara Walsh
      Irish Service Women In The Great War: From Western Front to Roaring Twenties by Barbara Walsh
By Gruesome Greg Reviews, Reviews - Audio June 2, 2017

Bison – You Are Not the Ocean, You Are the Patient

Rating

Album number four from the band formerly known as Bison B.C. has been nearly five years in the making. Since the release of their last record, they’ve been dropped from Metal Blade, replaced their bassist and issued a lone, two-track, digital-only single… so you might say they’ve fallen off the map. Can this record re-establish the most influential outfit from the East Van sludge scene?

You are Not the Ocean… begins with more of a post-sludge note in “Until the Earth is Empty,” with the heavy riffs initially intermingled with some cleaner guitar tones. That’s not to say this number doesn’t pack a punch—the driving verse sounds like vintage Bison, and there’s no shortage of heavy breakdowns, either, with them notably picking up the pace for a shredding solo right around the four-minute mark. “Anti War” is a three-minute burst of thrashing, churning breakdowns, culminating in a hard-pounding chorus, before “Drunkard” tunes it down a notch with some crunchy, heavy sludge that borders on noise-rock territory à la Unsane or Today is the Day.

The seven-and-a-half minute “Tantrum” throws in a few more post-metal flourishes, including a rogue violin, but at its core, ’tis still a heavy vegetable. “Raiigin” might be the heaviest tune on this one, even incorporating the fiddle into its downtuned despondency, before picking up the pace past the two-minute mark. Both a step forward and a return to form, Bison is back, baby!

BISON – “You Are Not The Ocean You Are The Patient” LP (+ download)

Gruesome Greg

Seahawks/Stamps/Flames/Zags/Jays/Raptors fan and lifelong metal head with a beer gut and a self-deprecating sense of humour. Reviewer/blogger (Yon Senior Doomsayer) for Hellbound.ca.

  • Share on:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +

8.0 Rating

Read more about...

bisonheavy sludgenoise rockpost metalpost-sludgereview
Previous article
Book reviews from Steve Earles: June edition
Next article
Aaron Turner – “The Lost Interview” – November, 2012

Stay Connected

Want Hellbound delivered straight to your inbox? Signup to receive our weekly newsletter!


Recent Posts

  • Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit
  • S-E-R-V-I-C-E – Drag Me LP
  • Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit LP
  • Booze & Glory – Raising The Roof 12” EP
  • Suzi Moon – Animal 12” EP

Recent Comments

  • Jason Bouchard on Wardruna in North America
  • Shawn Martin on Heavy metal in 2017 by Adrien Begrand
  • The Metal Pigeon on Heavy metal in 2017 by Adrien Begrand
  • Berenice Ramìrez on Ghost: The Hellbound Interview
  • Gruesome Greg on Perturbator + Bulkhead @ The Velvet Underground, 1 October 2017

More Stories

Enslaved

Enslaved and Yob in Toronto – March 19, 2015

Enslaved, Yob, Ecstatic Vision and Kosmograd Live at the Opera House, Toronto, Ontario, March 19th, 2015 A show like this was by most in the…

About Hellbound.ca

Hellbound is one of Canada's leading online magazines featuring heavy metal in all its glorious forms. Hellbound is written by fans for fans.

Sign up for our weekly digest!

Want Hellbound delivered straight to your inbox? Signup to receive our weekly newsletter!


Copyright © 2009-2019.

Latest Comments

  • 1

    Jason Bouchard

    Wardruna in North America
    I will have to admit: I actually only heard of Wardruna last year when I saw through the Evenko Facebook page that Wardruna would play in Montreal. I was impressed…
  • 2

    Shawn Martin

    Heavy metal in 2017 by Adrien Begrand
    Cool list. I'll be sure to buy Pallbearers new album. I haven't listened to many new albums from this year, but really like "Incorruptible" by Iced Earth and "The Grinding…
  • 3

    The Metal Pigeon

    Heavy metal in 2017 by Adrien Begrand
    Enjoyed reading this, particularly the "My 2017 in Metal" section. As a distressed American metal writer who's had more than my fair share of freakouts over the current political situation,…

More Posts on Hellbound

  • Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit
  • S-E-R-V-I-C-E – Drag Me LP
  • Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit LP
  • Booze & Glory – Raising The Roof 12” EP
  • Suzi Moon – Animal 12” EP
  • Thrall – Schisms
Powered by WordPress.
Back to top