Russell HughesBoss Keloid – Herb Your Enthusiasm (Black Bow Records)
Genre: Sludge Metal
From epics spanning nearly nine minutes long to short, sharp shocks, Boss Keloid do it all.
The stoner/sludge/metal band from Wigan aren’t always the easiest to listen to, but sometimes you feel that’s not really the point.
With audio reference points like Mastodon and Clutch, Herb Your Enthusiasm is a giant melting pot of ideas, inspiration and skill.
The stripped down vocals don’t always offer you something to grab hold of and take with you on the journey through the album, but the twists and turns – often in the same song – is the olive branch you need to stop you sinking deep into the sludge quicksand.
Songs like Lung Mountain gives the foursome a chance to experiment with the song in a way you don’t often mind: lose concentration for a second and you’ll think the track has ended and a new some begun – but the seamless nature of the transitions inside each song will take your breath away.
Herb Your Enthusiam probably isn’t going to convert any hard rockers to the world of stoner sludge, but for the those already there it’ll be music to their ears.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 7/10 An Acquired Taste