Review
I'm not sure who wrote the blurb for Tree of Sores and their self-titled EP, but rarely has it been more accurate. It says the band take "influences from the doomy atmospherics of Neurosis
, an underbelly of crust care of Amebix, and an air of recklessness favoured by the likes of Eyehategod." Well, I'm not sure exactly what the recklessness is all about, but they have their feet planted in both sludge and crust, turning those sounds toward post-metal style ends. It's heavy, dissonant, raw, and ugly. Now, mentions of "post-" and Neurosis can be a double-edged sword. There are plenty of bands out there peddling "post-" who are content to meander aimlessly, with cheap loud/quiet/loud dynamics as an excuse for songwriting. But I am here to tell you, Tree of Sores get it.
Much of the music is slow, yes, but it's always going somewhere. And with song lengths topping out at 7:50 and tapering down to the 4-6 minute range, sometimes dealing more in crust than post- (e.g. "From Within"), they don't outstay their welcome. More importantly, they do more than just fiddle with the volume knob: they have riffs. The male and female shouts don't hurt either.
The Verdict: You could waste a lot of time and money trying to sift through all the post-whatever bands out there. With Tree of Sores, you will waste neither time nor money. It's absolutely worth your time, and since it's pay-what-you-want, you can decide how much money to spend. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment