CANADIAN RIFFS: BINGE & PURGE - Botfly - “Denouement” (EP) & Lousy Riders – “Orphan"

By: Mark Tremblay

Botfly - “Denouement” (EP) (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The Review:

One of the best kept secrets of Canada’s east coast return with their follow up EP “Denouement”; a bleaker and more metallic offering to their critically acclaimed full length “Hatch”.

The first track, “29/04/2015”, brings the classic sludge/noise-rock fusion of riffs akin to that of KEN mode. Botlfy, however, add their own twist by utilizing major chords during the song’s heaviest moments, a signature of the band.

The second side of the EP, “Homesick”, is an extremely dissonant track; a song about losing touch and growing apart. On this song, Botflyincorporate post metal into their sound. The softer, delay-heavy moments within this song compliment the aggressive riffs in a way which makes the best Botfly track to date.

Keep any eye out for Botlfy when the next full-length comes out.

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

Lousy Riders – “Orphan” (Toronto, Ontario)

The Review:

“Orphan” is the perfect soundtrack to any 60’s biker film marathon. Lousy Rider is a two piece hailing from Toronto Ontario. The band also features regular collaborations from legendary Metal producer Greg Dawson, and jack-of-all-trades musician Mike Simpson.

The album features both ends of the stoner metal spectrum; the groove-oriented“fairy wear boots” style Sabbath worship, to something a bit more sinister. “Devil’s Chair”, “You Made Me”, and “Fake House Love” bring weight through crushing riffs, and off-kilter drum beats. These tracks are much more Metal than their previous EP, and showcase growth within the band. The Kyuss flair comes through with “Radiation” and “You Made Me” that focus on vocal harmonies that are seldom pulled off in modern stoner metal.

Like all great stoner metal albums, it ends with a classic instrumental jam track. Taking a page from Sons of Otis, Lousy Riders flex their musical chops to weave a delicate and haunting instrumental aptly titled “Stoned”.

Overall. If thick riffs and out-of- the box approaches to metal sub-genres is your kind of thing, Lousy Rider’s “Orphan” is a must check out for you.

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Hour Of Penance - "Cast the First Stone"

By Theron Moore
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 27/01/2017
Label: Prosthetic Records

“Cast the First Stone” track listing:

1). XXI Century Imperial Crusade
2. Cast the First Stone
3. Burning Bright
4. Iron Fist
5. The Chains of Misdeed
6. Horn of Flies
7. Shroud of Ashes
8. Wall of Cohorts
9. Damnation Memoriae

The Review:

Hour of Penanceis the Mount Everest of badass, circle pit, death / thrash third rock from the sun can offer.  In fact, if you look close enough, you’ll see a trail of dead and broken bodies they’ve left in their damaged path. Just follow the bones, the blood trails, they lead back to “Cast the First Stone.”

There’s not a bad song on this record, and this coming from a guy that’s super critical of everything I listen to.  I get tired of repetition, cut and paste.  I get tired of hollow, plastic, bullshit.  “Cast the First Stone”has heart and soul.  Hour of Penance scored a gem here, they nailed it.  You get that from the get-go with “Burning Bright” throwing fist to face till “Damnation Memoriae” ends the record in proper fashion, A-Bomb dropped, nuke missile launched, end times upon us. 

Nothin’ but good energy here.  And power.  You feel the power of the band firing on all cylinders, start to finish, on “Cast the First Stone.”  When a band knows how to craft songs, write music and fully grasp the mechanics of their genre, it’s a wonderful, special thing.  Not every band does that, cando that, that’s why bands often fall short and fail.  Not Hour of Penance.  And not their new record.  This thing is a head crusher.

HOP knows metal.  “Cast the First Stone” is a killer mix of death AND thrash, crossover, if you will, but fully realized and well executed.  I’ll drop the usual bullshit tags like “brutal,” “aggressive,” “cuts like a knife” – wait, that’s Bryan Adams, right?  Ah, hell with it.  Still sounds death metal.  Fact is, none of these generic statements come close to describing how truly heavy and ass kicking this record, this band, really is.

Every once in a while, you get a band who understands metal.  And they make a record.  And it kicks ass.  Hour of Penance’s “Cast the First Stone” IS THIS record.  It’s right up there with Havok’s“Conformicide,” which I got an advance listen to, which most likely will be the best record of the year.  My opinion?  Love Havok, but prefer Hour of Penance.  Any band that sinks as much heart, their soul, not to mention, integrity, into a record, you got my vote for band AND record of the year.  This is it.  Buy or die.

“Cast the First Stone” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook