You can analyze an album’s cover art all you want, but there
is still a chance it won’t hint at what the album is going to sound like. In Rhin’s case, one might become possessed
and forget what planet they even come from? The eyed horn protruding from the
average looking modern clean cut hipster dude’s forehead is trippy enough let
alone the creepy ravens. Are those real eyes or are they bulls-eye target
markers, or perhaps infectious tumors? Whatever the case may be, it’s an
attention grabber and one that could go either way in terms of pulling in an
audience. I chose to push play, and did so with caution.
Bastard opens up
with Ted's Shed which shreds sludge
metal of the finest caliber; not too blistering heavy with just the right
amount of groove. Whiskey stained vocal moans splatter over punk rock tones
digging their way out of the pool of muck the album is immersed in.
Like the song names themselves, the music wreaks of
hazardous waste and destruction. The songs flow well by nature and craftily
interject elements of grunge and stoner into their punk-based heavy sludge. The
songs are relatively short in length with an almost hardcore/thrash vibe, yet
the riffs encompass enough girthy distorted fuzz to fill the slot on your shelf
next to your favorite Fu Manchu album
or that Slayer - Undisputed Attitude
record you used to blare in high school.
Undisputed musical smut that if your mom walked in on, she’d spank her
own ass with the worn out wooden spoon still crusted with last night’s chili
dog surprise.
Bastard leaves you
scratching your head not in confusion, rather in an attempt to soothe the
beating your brain just took. The album is unrelentingly brutal but comforting
enough to charm a cobra slithering upon smoldering embers of a tire fire.
The final track, Consumed,
makes up nearly 1/3 of the records total run time and is the scummiest song on
the album. The velocity dwindled back an entire notch and the groove gravitated
toward the Milky Way Galaxy, Consumed
devours the speakers with mammoth riffs and viscous fuzz fronted by onerous
vocal shouts .
Not only does Rhin captivate
the audience with a brilliant heavy rock record, but they do it with class.
What's classier than a sludge metal album named 'Bastard' and song titles such as 'Gravy'? Got a problem with that? I didn't think so. Pre-order your
copy today on bandcamp, officially released on December 1st and,
while your tent is pitched, check out the other mighty fine tunage in the Grimoire Records catalogue. (I will
personally vouch for that Cavern
album) Thanks for reading now it's time to bastardize your head by banging it up
and then banging it back down!
-The Huntsman
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