It is not often that the band can work for over a decade and finally get the notice that they deserve, but the highly distorted blackish, brackish sludge of Sourvein provides all aspiring bands with a brief glimmer of hope. “Emerald Vulture”, the band’s first EP on This Dark Reign, finally brings this brutal form of music to a larger audience than any Mardi Gras performances could ever have.
Sourvein is not one of those bands that have to play as quickly as possible to confuse individuals and put their critical eyes away from sloppy playing; everything that Sourvein does on this album is crystal clear and open for individuals to dissect. The disc starts off with “Blessed”,a very deliberately-paced song that acts like a theatrically-staged boogeyman creeping across the stage. Each culmination of guitar and drums acts as one more step closer, with the brutal, distorted vocals acting as the rustling and moaning of the beast as ey moves ever closer to devouring the child. While the band has a much more solid musical pedigree than acts like Marilyn Manson, the two really show an immense amount of talent in creating a creepy atmosphere. Sourvein actually trump Manson in the sense that everything works together – be it the instrumentation, vocals, or distortion.
The title track, shortest of all (a mere 3:20) continues the same simple melodies; Sourvein’s desire with this disc is not to wow people with technically proficient riffs but really continue using the same style of gruff and grim guitar work to instill the melodies of “Emerald Vulture” deep into the hearts of all listening. The band picks up the tempo slightly for “Witch Rides Out”, but does not abandon the sound that has dominated through the rest of the album. In fact, the band seems to take on some of the sound of an Isis even when they come through with a war machine of noise, growling and grinding all lesser acts underneath. Finishing the disc off with “Heart of Ebon”, Sourvein move beyond simply long songs to the realm of epic; the track is 13 minutes and continues the same tradition of allowing arrangements to fully come together before moving forward. If a listener is looking for the darkest, most sludgy type of metal out there, it has to be Sourvein’s disc that they pick up at the end of it all. Pick it up, too.
Top Track: Heart of Ebon
Rating: 6.5/10
[JMcQ]
Sourvein – Emerald Vulture / 2006 Devil Doll / 4 Tracks / http://www.devildollrecords.com / Reviewed 30 January 2006