Two piece sludge has always had a special place in my heart. Bands like Bell Witch, Potslammer, Year Of The Cobra and early Conan proved to me that this microgenre brings a lot to the table. Tuskar is the sort of band who come at you with a transcendent power, a grandiose vision of the sort you wouldn't normally think a genre this technically limited would have this sway over so many, and yet somehow they make it work. Arianrhod is a potent statement coming from the masters in Tuskar and it makes me hungry for more.
Colossal riffs crash upon each other like so many waves on the shore. Tuskar have a visionary approach to how this whole sludge metal thing should work, sure it's not fully realized but there are enough interesting ideas to keep you going. Ultimately the problem with Arianrhod is that the record isn't really long enough. There isn't enough space on this record for tracks to always properly breathe and that makes some of Tuskars music a frustrating look at what could be. The band clearly knows what they are doing though, the longest track, Moon-Hooch sees the group starting to push towards something special.
That being said - they aren't afraid to mix in shorter tracks, a good call given so many of the struggles that bands in this scene face. It's rare that we find a sludge band who actually understand the need for shorter songs and the fundamental role they have in the development of any band. Tuskar are creating something here that reflects an exciting scene and one that can't help but to keep expanding in potency and building toward a better future.
Find them on Facebook!
I always have praised the blogs which have been based upon the reviews, so I like this post equally as it is giving the feedback of Tuskar.
ReplyDelete