Review : Miri Bluebeard
With a sound MUCH bigger than their 3 members, you could be mistaken for thinking High as Hell have come crawling out of the ooze of boiling down our collective love of all things sludge and metal.
Their full length debut album Razorblade Dream dropped on Friday and I had the pleasure of listening to it for a review
The “just outside of Melbourne” three piece have hit some soft spots in this nostalgic stoner metalheads heart and the album takes us on a trip through sounds that remind us of old flavours, albeit with their own unique sound. Initially sitting down to just quickly check them out, by track three I was hellbent on finding out everything I could about them.
Playing like a lesson in music history, each track is laden with its own influences old and new. Sabbath seems to be woven throughout the whole album tying the tracks together and really building the High as Hell sound, adding a classic edge to their feel where you could believe they are a much older band.
The opening track House of The Holy, throws us immediately into crunchy riffs and powerful vocals, parts reminiscent of Orange Goblin and a driving beat that sets the level for the rest of the album.
Settling into the album by track three, Dying on a Lonely Street takes a new, wound-down direction, with a delicious groove that any Melvins or Bongripper fan would find easy to melt into over its seven and a half minute length. This was the reviewers personal favourite and I wouldn’t have been mad if the chug went for another seven and half minutes.
The title track Razorblade Dream seems to define who High As Hell are, drawing on snippets of so many influences that their own unique sound is created. It seems the classic influence comes through strongest here and it’s easy to tell they have a respect and deep love for the musicians of that time.
Death By Choice adds Acid Bath into the mix, dissolving away and then smashing back in with a Pantera-esque middle that builds and slides back down into the slow chug. The journey on this track really is something and that ending is *chefs kiss*.
The final track Night Demons ties up the album with an audio descent into hell complete with building dread, brutal screams, and a long slow wind down to the finish, giving the album a sense of cohesion as one concept with this track tying off the experience at the end
Overall all the tracks had something that made each stand out, no fillers here. This high energy of all killer no filler meant High as Hell were a welcome surprise and when they can tour again it will be interesting to see how this translates to their live shows.
High as Hell’s debut album Razorblade Dream is out now on Spotify, Apple Music and all good places you find music online.
Get it HERE : https://ffm.to/razorbladedream
