Bloodhorse - Bloodhorse EP Review
by Mark Hensch
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During the summer of 2007, Translation Loss Records put out a six song EP from a Boston-based doom band calling themselves Bloodhorse. Due to an unfortunate mix of school/work/general laziness, I haven't reviewed said EP until now.
This is even more unfortunate given the nature of the music contained therein. Bloodhorse is a power-trio which plays stoner/doom metal with the warm, totally fun vibes of bands like the Sword, Sleep, or St. Vitus. The entire disc is ripping, non-stop fun, the kind better suited to blistering sun and open-top joyrides as opposed to the cold, snowed-in days I've ended up listening to it on. Regardless, this is the kind of "anytime is fine" riff-rock that will always put a smile on one's face and make for a good time.
Such festivities begin with the cool and relaxed buzz of "I'm Burned." Relaxing percussion slinks by courtesy of skinsman Alex Garcia-Rivera, and before one knows it, an ominous but grooving bass line from bassist/vocalist Matt Woods joins the jamboree. This vaguely jam-band like introduction lets guitarist/vocalist Adam Wentworth lay out some fuzzy riffs shrouded in a haze of cloudy free-form; from here, the band launches into a laid-back rocker not unlike slow-paced moments from the Sword. The very definition of smoldering, "I'm Burned" never hits above 40 MPH but gets increasingly raw as the song goes on. By its end, all that's left from this slow-burning festival of the almighty riff is a pile of glowing ashes.
Every such pile of ashes must be blown away, and said strong gust of wind comes with the swinging "Il Treno a Tucumcari." This one is a full-throttle war cry; the riffs are up-tempo and pounding, the bass think and rattling, the drums rhythmic and fierce. Above it all there howls Wentworth's terse vocals; they're half-yell and half-song, equaling whole brawn. Busting out a totally scuzzed-out middle portion as well, this one is a barnstormer for sure.
The beginning portion of "Son of Man"---with its St. Vitus-worthy humming---makes it seem plausible that this next song will go in the exact opposite direction of "Il Treno." Not so! The loud but restrained riffs patiently build themselves up into a stoned-frenzy; just as things get wild, the song collapses into a gnarly palm-mute. This in itself soon rallies into a glorious charge of furious, fiery stoner metal, making for one rollercoaster ride of a song.
"The Goat" kicks out grooving jams that owe much to faster portions from the Melvins, the Sword, and even Black Sabbath. The song's shamanistic, unhinged drum flurry towards the middle is its crowning glory however, and easily recalls Led Zeppelin's epic "Moby Dick." Much like that legendary tune, "The Goat" is a memorable highlight of the disc it is on.
The sinister, ominous chords of "Bloodhorse" provide a blitzed anthem of stoner-supremacy for the band. The noisy, organic guitar ambles lazily through hazy bass and pulsing percussion. At first content to engage in plodding stomp, it soon explodes into a roaring fire of feel-good sludge.
The EP chooses to end with even more of this inspiring metal, an untitled rocker ending things with a fist-pumping bang. Complex bass lines playfully mosh with melodic stoner riffs---the song even goes into a wistful freakout of fuzzy, warm ambience. The whole thing---besides its fun but heavy atmosphere---also features a pronounced 1970's hard rock vibe. Such elements are apparent throughout the entire EP but really manifest here.
If you like your metal fun but still really f*cking heavy, there is nothing wrong with this one! Short, sweet, and full of good times, the Bloodhorse EP will appeal to anyone who likes the Sword or traditional doom metal with a rawer, more modern sheen.
Bloodhorse's S/T EP
1. I'm Burned
2. Il Treno a Tucumcari
3. Son of Man
4. The Goat
5. Bloodhorse
6. Untitled
CD Info and Links
Bloodhorse - Bloodhorse EP Rating:8.5
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