So here's the latest from the scruffy beard-rockers Bison B.C. from Canada. It is not a home run but rather a solid double right up the middle. The style is dirty, sludgy metal with some twists...nothing revolutionary, but easy on the ears. In terms of unique songs that are easy to tell apart, this is the band's best yet. Every track has its own identity and feel and for that alone, the guys deserve kudos. Opener "An Old Friend" starts with twin guitar melodies almost in the Lizzy vein before turning into a more standard sludge metal pounder with that groovy Southern feel. It really jams hard towards the end. "Anxiety Puke/Lovelessness" turns up the intensity a bit and definitely has a more punky touch to it. "Last and First Things" is a very druggy, psychedelic tune built around tribal drumming and some very cool riffing. By now, you find yourself anticipating what twist is next to come and you are not disappointed with the very ominous and heavy "Blood Music". "Clozapine Dream" is relatively short and is a cranked up ass-kicked with a bit of that High On Fire feel that Bison B.C. has always had.
What really makes the album is the last song "Finally Asleep", which is just a perfect example of epic sludge metal. Fantastic riffing! This one really carries you along to a mighty climax...not original in the least but one hell of a powerful tune.
If the whole sludge metal/Mastodon inspired genre wasn't so over-saturated at the minute, I might even rate this higher, but as it is, "Lovelessness" is a nice album to loosen the neck muscles.
Words: Dr. Mality (Wormwood Chronicles)
Bison BC | Facebook
