Monday 26 May 2014

BORIS - NOISE - Album Review


Album Type: Album
Date Released: June 17th 2014
Label: Sargent House Records

NOISE track listing:

1. Melody
2. Vanilla
3. Ghost of Romance
4. Heavy Rain
5. Taiyo no Baka
6. Angel
7. Quicksilver
8. Siesta

Bio

With their most all-encompassing effort to date. It is an amplification of Boris’ endless pursuit of musical extremes while moving aggressive, intense rock into new territories. Here, the band masterfully intermingles sludge-rock, blistering crust punk, shimmering shoegaze, epic thunderous doom, psychedelic melodies and just about everything else they’ve ever done. (The result) is something more bold, streamlined and powerful

The Band Members

Atsuo - Drums, Vocals
Wata - Guitars, Vocals
Takeshi - Bass, Guitars, Vocals

Review:

BORIS return with their 19th Studio Album to date. Yes folks, you read that right. 19th album. BORIS have been going for 22 years now and since then they have delivered a musical legacy that most bands would die for.

There are two sides to this legendary band's music. One side where they experiment with noise, drone, sludge, ambient and shoegaze and the other a more heavier sound of Sludge, Doom, Drone, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock and Stoner Metal. They have collaborated with Sunn 0))), Merzbow, Ian Astbury and Michio Kurihara.

If the band release an album under the name – boris – then the band are in full-on experimental mode with drone, ambient and noise being the main components. If the band release an album under BORIS then it's their hard-rocking persona that's going to entertain the hell out of you.

So which persona do we have here on their new album – Noise. Well that's a hard one to answer even with the BORIS being splashed on the album as the band are embracing the two sides of their music for one beautiful and hauntingly poetic journey that will give you such an exhilarating rush of adrenaline

Noise starts off with the wonderfully heavy as hell – Melody. A song that sees the band adding Psychedelic Rock with heavy slabs of Noisy Sludge Rock to awaken your senses with huge waves of noises come crushing around you which feels like your being crushed by an uncontrollable force.

2nd track – Vanilla – is a fast paced heavy rock affair that sees the band play some of their fastest riffs of their career as the song instantly grabs your attention with loud noisy riffs drenched in fuzzy feedback loops that show you why BORIS are a force to be reckoned with. Takeshi takes centre stage with his pitch perfect vocals adding a sense of wonder to the overall feel of the album.

3rd track – Ghost Of Romance – sees BORIS in a more reflective mood as the song starts with a slowly paced guitar with elements of ambient based post-rock/shoegaze noise playing in the background. Though it's still very loud as the song slowly builds up to a loud wall of noise before the subdued vocals add a soothing calmness to it all. Wata's trademark loud and edgy dangerous guitar riffs take over near the end and it proves why she is still one of the finest guitarists in the realm of Hard Rock.

BORIS start to tease the listener with different noises and effects as they turn into their experimental persona on 4th track – Heavy Rain – though the heavier Sludge Rock notes are still there for everyone's hearing to be destroyed by as the song has a dangerous edge and a bitter-sweet persona at the same time as Wata's beautiful and delicate vocals are very impossible to resist.

One of the albums stand out is the almost 19 minute epic – Angel – which is a lovingly crafted tale of epic proportions. This track shows the entire range of noises that BORIS have perfected within their 22 year journey as a band. Elements of noise, drone, pop, sludge, ambient and hard rock combine for one of the most emotionally involved tracks that the band have ever written. BORIS unleash some spectacular heavy riffs through out this epic masterpiece.

Things don't get any quieter on Quicksilver as the band move into some of the heaviest and noisiest material they have written in years and it gives this album such an uncontrollable energy you will find very possible to ignore. As BORIS more from many different levels of NOISE and I guess that is the point of this album. It sees the band reflecting back on their legendary career and proving to the world that BORIS can be classed one of the world's most defining and daring rock bands.

Noise is one of their finest records in years. I hope BORIS will be around for a very long to come as they have proven once again what true innovators they really are.

Thanks to Rachel at Silver PR, Lisa at Suburban Records and Sargent House Records for sending ourselves a promo to review. Noise will be available to buy from Sargent House Records from 19th June 2014.

Check The Band From Links Below


Written by Steve Howe