Stoneburner - Life Drawing

****
Shattering new album Portland's dirtiest!

'Life Drawing' is the second full length album and third over all release from Stoneburner. Yes fans of the movie 'Dune' they are named after that!. The album is one heavy album and I don't mean in the traditional sense although it is heavy in a sonic way but it's quite heavy going. The songs are long, they are deep and it will take a few listens to really get what's going on. When describing the bands sound, names like Eyehategod, Buzz.Oven and Neurosis. I think Neurosis come the closest but Stoneburner sound nothing like any of the bands mentioned  although in terms of felling and atmosphere those said bands project, your on the right path. 

The opening track 'Some Can' sets the tone. It's a standard Doomy, disjointed track with a cool Black Sabbath Esq. Ending it's the next track 'Caged Bird' where things start to get really interesting. Starting with this horrible bass line that tells you something bad is going to happen it builds up over ten minutes to a awesome Sludge fest with tortured vocals over the top. When I say tortured that's what I mean. it doesn't sound like the vocals were done a hundred times over they sound done in the moment with emotion being the main priority over technic. 'Drift' in comparism is this lovely little acoustic interlude similar to an interlude you would have got on one of the early lack Sabbath albums. 

'The Niceness' doesn't last long however when "An apology to a friend in need" kicks in the band punish the listener further. Each track takes the listener on a journey through the tortured psyche. There's so much going on behind and in between the twisted riffs and the down tuned chaos there is a lot of catharsis and beauty in this album. 'Pale new Eyes' starts of with an ambient, mellow introduction. It could be the soundtrack to a movie where it's shows a quite landscape before cutting the scene of a catastrophic showdown!  "You are the worst" harks back to the early days of Mastodon, it's a straight ahead rocker that's up tempo and just goes for it. 

'The Phoenix' a near twenty minute epic instrumental with slight vocal touches minimal in the track and makes a good close the album, it kind of builds up to a heavy middle and slowly backs down to a mellow end. All in all Life drawing is a hard hitting, bleak, disturbing ugly yet cathartic listen. It takes a bit of work and needs a few spins to emerge oneself fully into it and granted it's probably one of those albums that you won't listen to often. some albums for example could be one of your favorite but you would only listen to once a year maybe but when you do it's in full uninterrupted and all the more special for it.

Review by Joe Denby

Listen! to the classic Track 'Elesares' Below...