Album Review: Death Valley Driver - Choke The River

        If Prince Edward Island's music scene has a known signature sound, I’m reasonably sure this isn’t it. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve assumed these guys came straight off a bayou in Louisiana. Although these guys may not be truly representative of a cultural benchmark for P.E.I. in the same vein as say, Stompin’ Tom Connors, they somehow manage to harness an authentic sonic assault that genuinely sounds as if from the deep south. No more than before has a Maritime metal album had me in the mood to look for the nearest bottle of Jim Beam, go shoot up some rattlesnakes and get thrown in jail in the same afternoon. Front to back, this record pummels the sonic ether with bruising riffs, deep fetching grooves and scathing vocals, all with a cocky southern-like swagger. Mind you, this isn’t breaking any new ground. The manner in which the band engages their influences is anything but subtle, as bands like Pantera, Down and Crowbar will immediately come to mind upon listening to these songs. However, it’s all done in a way that is sincere, tasteful and fresh.

            “Choke The River With Your Dead” is a stellar lead off track, as it crams all the best elements of their genre into a single 4 and a half minute serving. Fiercely heavy, sludgy riffs with wide open grooves, canorous guitar passages and dynamic vocals that venture between beastly growls and a clean melodic wail. The main riff bludgeons all available sonic space with a crushing syncopated rhythm that sounds like a bearded, rebel flag wearing redneck giant stomping a blood entrailed path along the Mississippi. “Insect Dirge” employs a fetching Sabbath-esque groove that brandishes a commanding rock ‘n roll pomposity. In fact, all 8 songs truly showcase a tireless parade of sinister metal riffage and uncompromised aggression. All of course, with a heavy dose of southern stoner rock arrogance.

           Although this album is not severely original, the saving grace here is there is not a single hint of pretense. It’s clearly evident that this band is not setting out to reinvent the (steel?) wheel. What I hear in these songs is an honest and dedicated admiration for this sound and an unmitigated desire to carry the torch for good sludge/stoner metal. Also, regardless of the recognizable formula, the band continues throughout the record to incorporate dynamics that always keep the music interesting. Lead singer Dan Hodgson has an apt range of vocal stylings that can appropriately drive home tones of brutality, yet can complement the rhythmic backdrop with the right touch of harmony in the right moments. The guitar riffs are as imposing as they are compelling, and the rhythm section is always deep in the pocket. The band is great at what they do, and with this album have forged a new East Coast Canadian standard for good ‘ol Hell-raising, groove-oriented metal to shotgun a beer to.


www.myspace.com/deathvalleydriverpei
http://diminishedfifthrecords.com/

Album Review: Cicada

         In keeping with the true spirit of this album, I’m going to keep this review fairly simple. That is the one thing that really strikes me upon listening to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia's Cicada. This is actually a very simplified, no-bullshit serving of really good metal. In fact, I would find it rather difficult to categorize these guys into any kind of proper sub-genre, only because they offer such a seamless sonic amalgam of some long celebrated metal formulas. There are no over-the-top expressions that suggest any particular scene or niche, which is not necessarily a bad thing. One thing is for sure, there is no risk of them being confused with the European electro-pop group of the same name. There are plenty of killer riffs, sinister grooves and fierce vocals to make that absolutely certain. However, since they were insistent on using the name, I might have suggested giving their album a proper title. This would make them much easier to Google.

       Anyway, “Cleansing of The Wicked” gets things started with a harmonized guitar pattern which successively bursts into a very distinguished power-chorded assault, and has a very mechanical like groove. This was the best possible choice for the lead track. Although the pace trudges along, the rhythm has a very pleasingly distinctive feel. “In Same” is a showcase of shifting tempos, which employs an underlying slow burning melody that carries the song through an array of time signatures. “Benefactor of Chaos” exploits a severely heavy rhythmic attack, propelled by an industriously disciplined drum beat that evokes images of the Devil driving relentless stakes into the heart of humanity. “Steel Crusher” is another noteworthy highlight, which opens with a Conan The Barbarian sound clip before fearlessly charging into a tumultuous racket. Despite the unyielding furor, the song features some very carefully pronounced rhythms and impressively concordant modal executions.

      The only real criticism I could possibly offer here would relate to the production quality. There is definitely a tastefully rough edge to the overall sonic ethos, which for the most part complements the aggressive temperament of the record. However, my one complaint is that the vocals are largely, somewhat buried in the mix. In listening to most of these songs, I find myself wanting to hear the vocals more prominent and up front. However, this is a very minor complaint when considering the spectrum of musical virtues offered here. The riffs are engaging, and there is an impressive range of dynamics. Although rather simple in formula, the band still manages to create an interesting mosaic of tasteful sonic elements, which effectively invokes discomforting moods of misanthropy and disaffection. In other words, everything a great metal album should do.

http://www.cicadametal.com/