The Pitch: Dominating, doomy sludge from Swiss group The Crotals via Tenacity Music. FFO: Primitive Man, Body Void, Howling Giant.
What I Like: The Crotals are an excellent fusion of doomy sludge, Southern-tinged rock riffs, and groovy hardcore. With a two-pronged approach of mournful melody and sledgehammer distortion, Horde is a sensitive spirit in a hulking, brutish body. This album is basically Lenny from Of Mice And Men (the book, not the band...please read books). Tracks like "Hello" (LOVE the horns on this one) and "Cradle" carry the sorrowful weight of a thousand miserable lifetimes while others like "Melpomene" are like two fists compacting skull into spine.
Critiques: Quality is a little inconsistent. I could have gone for a few more agressively-focused tracks. The more depressive, doomy ones started to bog the pacing down.
The Verdict: Horde is a hard-hitting album that has a genuine emotional side without losing an ounce of intensity. The Crotals have achieved a pretty solid balance of elements here, though it hasn't been perfected just yet.
Flight's Fav's: Falling, Melpomene, Overcrowded
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it with others to help us grow. You can also like and follow us on the social media of your choice with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and support us on Patreon.