Just the right mix of post-rock atmosphere, sludge, stoner-metal, doom, and even a touch of thrash, this album is a winner... 9/10
Date: 14 Dec 2011
Publisher: www.doommantia.com
Written by: Ed
There is a million stoner-doom bands taking the post-rock, instrumental, soundtrack music kind of direction these days and quite frankly, it is boring me senseless as they all seem to sound the same, most of the time. However there is a few within the bunch that offer something a bit different or at least a little bit original and Zonderhoof are one of those bands. It is hard to put a finger on what makes them stand out against a sea of Neurosis, Isis and Pelican wannabees but I am guessing what is working with this UK band is their genre-bending way of mixing the old with the new and the basic with the more complex.
Zonderhoof have the usual musical leanings as in a Pelican, Russian Circles, Karma To Burn, Neurosis and Baroness kind of approach but it is also mixed with some heavy-weight sludge-metal so the mix of proggy post-metal with crushing sludgy doom is a brutal combo.
Also what is great about this 7 track album is just when you think it is going down a familiar path, they switch gears and turn the direction around and that keeps it interesting for all of its 53 minutes. A lot of the music on 'Hakken' is quite complex but without being overly ambitious. There is intricate passages but they also stay mostly infectious so it never feels tedious or pompous in any way. The band keep the grooves going at all costs, the opening 8 minute onslaught of 'Smoking Ears Screaming Teeth' is a good example of smoking riffs, pulverizing intense drumming, and intriguing songwriting and the album just seems to get heavier as it goes along. 'Hogslayer' and 'Frostbitten Trigger Finger' are just two relentless tracks that cry out for vocals at times.
Some instrumental bands don't need vocals at all but you get the feeling that if Zonderhoof' has a good vocalist, they would just be that much better, (if that is possible). It is not a deal-breaking situation at all for the album but some killer vocals would have been the icing on the cake.
'Bring Me the Head of the Shark God' and 'Swords Were No Match for the Plague of Flesh Eating Pigs' (great song-titles!) are two of the big highlights. 'Swords Were No Match for the Plague of Flesh Eating Pigs' is over 10 minutes of irresistible stoner-metal and doom riffage that leaves you crying out for more, not that there is anything weaker about other tracks on the album, it is just these tracks send the album into overdrive and push the release close to "essential" status. If there is a weaker tune, it is the 10 minute 'Bowback vs Locked Breech' which still has some killer riffage but lacks some of the intensity of the albums earlier tunes. The album ends on yet another great, epic track, '50gms Will Blow Your Mind' which is another whirlwind of sonic brutality and catchy riffs.
Without a doubt this may just be the best instrumental sludge album since Dopefight's 'Buds and yes, I know there is some vocals on that album but it is still mostly instrumental and so for the point that I am making, that is close enough. If you are looking for a good way to blow away the boredom for the coming holiday season, this will do the job. Wonderfully produced and the musicianship at times is jaw-dropping stuff and with just the right mix of post-rock atmosphere, sludge, stoner-metal, doom, and even a touch of thrash, this album is a winner.......9/10
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