published: 12 /
6 /
2014
Label:
Sargent House
Format: CD
Impressive rock album from always unpredictable Japanese experimentalists, Boris
Review
When I saw the title of Boris’ nineteenth album, my heart sunk a little as I anticipated the kind of droning, tuneless horror that you can find on their collaboration album with Merzbow. What I had forgotten of course is that with Boris, you never really know what you’re going to get, so if you have any expectations at all, you’re always going to be surprised.
Although the album is certainly rock, the Japanese band move through a number of iterations of the form, from the more emo/pop-metal sounds of opener ‘Melody’ to the hardcore of ‘Quicksilver'. The album flows from one style to the next effortlessly, with energy and mood shifting and swaying as the band show off their mastery of rock in all its forms.
Undoubtedly the album’s standout is the fifteen minute post-rock epic, ‘Angel’. Sounding like Oceanic-era ISIS with sweeter vocals, this is track that for my money best illustrates the musicianship and songwriting skills of a three-piece who, by this point in their careers, can probably churn out this kind of quality with their eyes closed.
Of course this album won’t appeal to everyone, but it will have a much wider appeal than some of the records in their discography. If you’re a fan of the band, this should tick all the boxes. What is most impressive to me is that after about twenty years and nineteen albums, Boris still can’t be pinned down to any one genre.
Track Listing:-
1
Melody
2
Vanilla
3
Ghost of Romance
4
Heavy Rain
5
Taiyo No Baka
6
Angel
7
Quiksilver
8
Siesta
9
Riot Sugar (Live Karlsruhe, Germany
10
8 (Live Madrid, Spain 06/24/2011)
11
Spoon (Live Karlsruhe, Germany 07/
12
Flare (Live Montreal, Canada 10/24
13
Window Shopping (Live Montreal, Ca
14
Statement (Live Vienna, Austria 07/
Band Links:-
https://twitter.com/borisheavyrocks
http://borisheavyrocks.com/
http://borisheavyrocks.tumblr.com/
https://boris.bandcamp.com/album/noise
https://www.facebook.com/borisheavyroc
Label Links:-
http://sargenthouse.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sargenthouse
https://twitter.com/sargenthouse
http://www.last.fm/user/SargentHouse
https://instagram.com/sargenthouse/