Doomriders - Grand Blood

Doomriders, a four piece from Boston, Massachusetts, share members with Converge and Old Man Gloom and make it clear that they know their way around musical instruments. Their second album, Darkness Comes Alive, sounded like a dumbed down version of Converge with doom vocals, but with innovative originality and spirit. But their third release on Deathwish, Grand Blood, puts the potential of novelty in the past and fails to progress.

A chaotic intro track slides into the first song, "New Pyramids," which leaves much to be desired. It follows a path towards some totally exciting explosion and instead farts out dust. The first song on an album can often make an impression on the listener for the rest of the album, so it's important to have a good opener. "New Pyramids" just doesn't do it. The next song, "Mankind" brings a little more hope with its melodic riffage and charm, sounding similar to "Come Alive" off Darkness Comes Alive. But ultimately, it fails to reach full potential due to boring passages that gobble up the cooler repeating harmonies.

What I did notice that was different about this album, compared to their last, is that this sounds more like a hardcore punk album than a metal album. But the sound is more polished than their previous albums, especially Black Thunder, which makes Grand Blood seem kind of stiff. Their music is based on hardcore in some way or another and the new sound makes sense, but it also detracts from their previous, gripping rock and roll sound hooks. The heavy metal mixed with a rock and roll edge gave them a powerful sound, but it's all lessened on Grand Blood by odd, less exciting music.

There are definitely some redeeming moments throughout the album, such as on "We Live In Shadows," the low, guttural vocals, pounding drums, and howling guitars bring life and breath to the album, if only for a short time. "Gone to Hell" starts with some interestingly different vocals, more of singing rather than screaming. It sounds way more like a rock song than anything else, and it's really good. It's also a track that sounds a little lost on this album, but by splitting up some songs into a hardcore style and some into a rock and roll style, they have at least evolved in some way. I'm a sucker for evolution in bands, and I will applaud them for their efforts, but the album could have used a little more work. Grand Blood stands to be a little less grand a little more generic than expected.

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Fuzz - Fuzz

Let's face it, Ty Segall is fun. If you don't know who he is, the dude is in about eight bands(including Fuzz), plays drums, guitar, sings and gets progressively more creative. So it's no surprise that Fuzz, the most recent endeavor of Segall, with Charlie Moothart(who has played on a few Ty Segall band tracks as well as many other various projects) on guitar and Roland Cosio(who google will tell you is a keyboard) on bass, are a serious powerhouse. In The Red Recordings released this first album from these stoner/garage rock mashers and the music clearly displays precise musicianship and a tight grasp on the world of making simple riffs interesting. Together, these star gazers blast fuzzed out, psychedelic goodness that gives their name a proper meaning.

The first track, and probably one of the best, "Earthen Gate," opens up with moaning guitars. A soft riff brings the song into a slow groove, drums and bass joining in, and progresses onwards. "Hide your eyes, ride your lies, and deceive. They must believe!" screams Segall as "Earthen Gate" continues at an upbeat  pace until its end. Ty Segall has an oddly specific sound at some times. Perhaps it's his love of the 3/4 time signature, or perhaps he just thinks better in 3/4. Either way, it works really well. "Whats In My Head?" showcases the band energy with a chorus that ineveitably makes you want to physically jump around the room singing. We all know you do anyways, so why not see whats in Segalls head?  "Raise," one of the catchier songs on the album, starts with twangy guitars and grooves into a cosmos of rock and roll splendor. Other notable tracks, such as "One" and "Preacher," have and old school rock and metal feel, respectively, but both also include break downs that mimic faster punk rock. The combo is interesting and they bring it together effortlessly.

As a stoner rock band, this release definitely deserves some praise. Stoner rock usually stays within a niche, and without fully escaping, Fuzz have stepped out and brought new influences in to give the music creative life and appeal to more people.

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