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/
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