Well folks, she's still recovering from last Friday. After all, kickin' it in both the front and back seats can really take it out of you. So how's about we get down and dirty this Friday instead?
Day 104
Band Origin: Savannah, Georgia, USA
Genre: Sludge Metal
Label: Relapse Records
Running Time: 34 minutes
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Best Part: It's simple, grungy, unpretentious southern metal.
Favorite Tracks: Resistor, Ender of All, Set the Dial to Your Doom, Growing Horns, Crossroad and Thunder, and Carved In Stone
Grade: 4.5
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Set the Dial in way more than 20 words or less:
The 'swamp metal' trio from Savannah return with their third full-length album and continue to produce that sweet murky sludge metal sound that I sure as shit know and love.
The 'swamp metal' trio from Savannah return with their third full-length album and continue to produce that sweet murky sludge metal sound that I sure as shit know and love.
The Band:
Black Tusk is a sludge metal power trio from Savannah, Georgia that was formed in 2005 by guitarist Andrew Fidler, bassist Jonathan Athon and drummer James May. The trio have always referred to themselves as 'swamp metal' emphasizing their murky, and downright dirty sludge metal sound that incorporates elements of thrash, hardcore punk and stoner metal. They're most often associated with fellow 'Savannah Sludge' icons Baroness and Kylesa for whom their 'swamp metal' monicker is in rather direct reference to, with their raw, dirty sludge metal sound. Baroness guitarist John Dyer Baizley, who is also one badass artist also provides the album artwork for the bands releases.
It was back on Day 93 where I mentioned my slight love affair with sludge metal, and more importantly about how it is one of my go to genres in a large number of situations, with a stable of talented groups that I can always rely on. One of the groups I named was Black Tusk, and for good reason. I've always loved bands that fall within the 'power-trio' archetype, that is to say guitar, bass and drums. Without the support of a second rhythm guitarist, the onus of the sound falls on the shoulders of the two stringsmen equally, and the bassist gets pushed into the forefront of the sound. For a genre such as sludge metal, and specifically for Black Tusk, you can't really ask for better. It's that extra push from the bass in line with the lead guitar that makes for the down right dirty riffs, that permeate this album through and through. It's a simple formula that the band knows how to execute well as they mix in elements from thrash and stoner metal into their obvious roots in punk rock to create tracks that are at the same time, energetic, catchy and powerful. Some people love the sound of a crisp, tight production, something you often see in bands later releases, where they lose some of that more raw, seemingly lower production quality of a debut album or earlier set of records. Myself, I love a little grime. I like my riffs dirty. I like that raw sound. Which is just another reason why I love sludge metal because its a base component of the sound and one that makes bands like Black Tusk, Kylesa, Baroness, Mastodon and others so much fun to listen to. It's straight to the point unpretentious metal.
Sample of the Day:
- J
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