FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
Hellbound Metal: “All the things that make Kylesa Kylesa are still present but the band has shed another layer of skin to expose a deeper sense of self, thus creating a highly dynamic and more sensitive album. The heavier sludge parts exude power and defiance while the more plaintive aspects display vulnerability.’
Well holy shit, it’s a Hellbound Radio playlist! Well, there actually hasn’t been a playlist for a while, as it has been nearly a month since we have done the show live. Never fear however, faithful listeners/followers, for Hellbound Radio returned on Sunday night with a show jam packed full of new releases.
Anyways, warming the unseasonably cold wastelands of Toronto tonight is a terrific touring package featuring Torche, KEN Mode and Lo-Pan. It feels like I haven’t seen Torche in a long time, but turns out I last caught ’em last summer when they toured with COC…
It’s been a little while since I’ve seen Kylesa in concert, 2+ years to be precise, and that was an early show. Suffice to say, I’m stoked to see them hitting The Annex again this summer, but when I saw the full touring lineup, I definitely did a double-take…
Overall, this is a pretty solid sludge record. Nothing that I haven’t really heard before, but these guys do it fairly well.
Yellow & Green by Baroness is arguably one of the richest and most diverse albums you are going to hear this year. It is certainly the most ambitious musical undertaking by Baizley and Co yet, but they manage to pull it off without a hitch. Production-wise it’s a little too retro for my taste, but otherwise this is a fantastic musical adventure. I’m hooked!
There are a handful of bands, rarer still in metal, whose sophomore record manages to trump their first effort, but Mares of Thrace have done that in spades with The Pilgrimage.
If you dig Torche, Mastodon, Baroness, Kylesa and the like, then you will dig this to a degree I’m sure.
Don’t get me wrong, I like my sludge metal, but I’m more into bands that bring something palatable to the table. If I were to liken the genre to a Mexican restaurant—I also like me some Mexican food—Black Cobra would be the basket of plain tortilla chips they put out before the main course.
“These guys have definitely got the Georgia sound (Kylesa, Baroness, Zoroaster et al), though they mould it into shorter, faster and maybe not quite as loud tunes. Still better than most.”