Posted on: April 30, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

It has been a while since I’ve heard anything that so successfully blends stoner rock with an absolutely brutal metal style. This is exactly what Stonegard does when they open up their “Arrows”, and the step-ladder approach to their guitars during the formative period of the disc will engage listeners for the entirety of tracks like “Hunter”. Much like a harder Monster Magnet or a more brutal Fireball Ministry, Stonegard hits listeners with a very friendly type of metal that will not alert listeners even as their insiders are liquefied. Another strength to Stonegard has to be their ability to allow all parts of their band to contribute different parts of their tracks. Thus, a song like “Resistance” can come up as a very Audioslave like sound, with the slinky bass of the track attempting to drag it to a “God That Failed”-era Metallica sound.

During “The White Shaded Lie”, Stonegard show their ability in creating a compelling and full track that can even approach the six minute mark without tiring listeners in the slightest. While most of the songs on “Arrows” approach music a certain way, a track like “Triggerfinger” shows that Stonegard is a band in the current period. This act could rip and shred alongside Godsmack while still getting the sales of that act; Stonegard is intense, to say the least. The guitar lines that are increasing and decreasing during “Darkest Hour” are like when someone runs their fingernails down your back; there are chills aplenty to be had.

The only complaint that one could create against Stonegard’s work on “Arrows” is that the album is much too short. The ten songs on the disc barely crap the thirty-five minute mark, and by the time that “Darkest Hour” finishes up, individuals are already ready for another dose of Stonegard. However, this is far from the band’s fault, and “Arrows” provides a perfect introduction to one of the more impressive, newer metal acts out on the market. There is little doubt that Stonegard can break it big, and that the music created by the band will be on the radio for long after the band crumbles to dust. The music is fun, it is intricate, and it is what individuals will be listening to for a long time. I hope to hear more from Stonegard in the future; there is nothing else besides create music that they have to do for this next album.

Top Tracks: Darkest Hour, Hunter

Rating: 7.1/10

[JMcQ]

Stonegard – Arrows / Candlelight / 10 Tracks / http://www.stonegard.org / http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com /

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