BARRABAS - Messe Pour Un Chien

Cover artwork by Benjamin Moreau.

Still playing catch-up from last year. French sludge mavens Barrabas had a full-length out this past November, which nearly passed by me. I'm going to assume that there are still some stragglers out there, so this one's for you. This album isn't quite what I was expecting. The way I remember it, their last album 'Libérez Barrabas!' was as a muddy punch in the teeth from a slope-browed opportunist. 'Messe Pour Un Chien' is a lean finesse fighter ... uhh ... punching you in the teeth. What I mean to say is, Barrabas is less the macho metal band here and more wizened heavy melodic rockers. Sure, you get your money's worth of snarl and growl, but the emphasis is on dynamic song craft. This isn't what I was expecting, but damn if it doesn't showcase an accomplished band enjoying themselves.

OYABUN - The Hiss

I'd been awaiting this one for some time. It finally came out this week and it's terrific, as good as I could as expected. I first found out about Oyabun when I heard "Brontosaurus Blues" on the old Grip of Delusion compilation series on bandcamp called The Book of Riff-Elations. Unfortunately "that something" is no longer there, but the massive free comp did it's job as I ended up ordering a CD from the band. It's still one of my favorite songs. 'The Hiss' plays out in a similar way to 2011's 'Gods and Dogs' in that the best songs are right up front, "Self-Made Slave" is fast becoming a favorite around here. It's arguably the heaviest song on the album and probably the catchiest. The emphasis on 'The Hiss' seems to be in creating a full album experience, highs and lows. As much as this is a heavy rock album with 30 to 40 year old sensibilities, there are a number of slower, more contemplative and even heartfelt moments. As always vocalist Fabrice Dercourt shines here with a soulful performance. The record ends on a muscular note as well. Give it a try, I dig it:

SOYUZ BEAR - Demo MMXV

Stumbled across this one the other day in a tag search. Soyuz Bear are ferocious, throwing waves of great riffs at you, then turning the heat up with sudden accelerations of tempo. The vocals will be the sticking point for some, because their filthy growl is an acquired taste, but they add to the ferocity. The sound here is not entirely unlike French Canadian counterparts Dopethrone, Finnish band Demonic Death Judge or UK band Bong Goblin. Again, the main point of focus is on the excellent riffs. I've mentioned it over and over in the past that I don't typically go in for these death or black metal style of vocals, but if the riffs are good enough, I won't be able to deny the band. This is another of those rare cases. It's well worth taking a peek into as it's a PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT download. It should also be mentioned that the sound is great, 'Demo MMXV' is well-recorded despite being labelled a demo.

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