Yes, one of my favourite
tribes from Massachusetts
are back with a smoker of an album, 'The Depths Below'. After 5 long
years of no recordings – apart from a brilliant 7” split Borracho - the stars
finally aligned and the guys got together to stir up some stuff. This
eventually, and thankfully, led to the birth of the new record and the return
of Cortez. And what a return it is! So I’m not going to bitch about the long
wait…….
Where do I start with this
barn-burner of an album? Like I mentioned above it’s such a joy to have them
back, pure and simple. But that emotion might cloud what actually is going on.
However, there is nothing to fear as Cortez surpasses themselves a
thousand-fold times over. The music is super focused, free-flowing and
unshackled with a ferocious bite to match. Add a full, rich production to the
equation and you have a band holding nothing back as well as destroying any
naysayers without batting an eyelid. They have also retained the Cortez sound
but upped the ante by being more in your face, as well as adding even sharper
riffs than before, completely obliterating the listener in the process.
‘All Gone Wrong’ sets the mood right away, kicking up dirt as the
band pile drives straight through my head. A super heavy rhythm section paves
the way for ruthless riffs to rip me apart. Slowing things down just a touch
and opting for a chest crushing approach, ‘Poor
And Devoid’ is relentless to say the least. ‘Walk Through Fire’ unleashes the fury with furious riffs running
parallel with some intense solos as Cortez opens the door to the trilogy ‘In The Shadows Of Ancients’. Part 2, ‘The Citadel’ is a slower composition
and has a strong mystic, Middle Eastern feel. Hypnotic and mesmerizing it picks
up in the verses. After a blistering solo the band kicks into full stoner
riffaganza and yours truly is bouncing off the walls. ‘Blood Of Heirs’ ends the trilogy and this is a full-on metal
frenzy. Going wide open this is not for those with a weak heart or degenerative
discs because Cortez brings an onslaught and a half, and it’s bloody fantastic!
Pummeling with a head
rush of monstrous proportions while facing the maelstrom that is ‘To The Skies’, I realize there’s no
point in fighting these guys. Just let them sweep you away through the soul
searching chorus to the punishing verses. Trippy and dreamlike at first with a
mellow yet eerie vibe, ‘Kill Your Ghosts’
eventually shift gears and the twin-axe attack from Scott O’Dowd and Alasdair
Swan blows me away. ‘Dead Channel’ is
slightly different than the rest. After a spaced-out intro followed by a brief
burst of punk it weaves back and forth between snarly vocals in desert sound
mode and gang-like chanting bringing it back to punk again. Confusing? Not at
all, if you ask me. Cortez do blend a lot of styles into this composition but
it works amazingly well. In fact, ‘Dead
Channel’ is one of my favourites. Speaking of styles, closer ‘Orison’ is a fantastic homage to doom
legends Candlemass akin to their pièce de résistance, ‘Solitude’. Singer Matthew Harrington does an amazing job as does
bass man Jay Furlo and drummer Jeremy Hemond. They keep it tight and heavy
allowing their string slingers to excel.
I can’t stress enough how
damned great ‘The Depths Below’ is,
waveriders! Having followed and liked Cortez for years, I know how bloody
amazing they are. Still, this new album floors me over and over again as I am
stunned by the sheer brilliance these guys display. As a music fan that’s the
best feeling there is when one of your favourites completely annihilates the
world with their new wax. Thank you and welcome back, Cortez!
-Swedebeast
Comments