Released by: Stonebirds
Release Date: October 20, 2017
Genre: Post Metal/ Sludge Metal
Links:
Twitter : www.twitter.com/wearestonebirds
Facebook : www.facebook.com/stonebirdsarestone
Website : www.stonebirds.fr
Lineup:
Guitar/ Vocals: Fanch
Bass/vocals: Sylvain
Drums: Antoine
Tracklist:
1. I
2. Sacrifice
3. Blackened Sky
4. Only Time
5. Shutter Part I
6, Shutter Part II
7. Animals
8. II
Stonebirds formed in 2008 in France’s North West and just release their third full-length album title ‘Only Time’ on October 20th. They also have a split and an EP that was released in 2013. This is our first time hearing the sludgy goodness these guys have given to fans of the genre such as ourselves. They threw together nearly an hour of heavy psychedelic sounds in this release and we couldn’t wait to get it started.
Right from the start with the first song simply titled ‘I’, an instrumental tune that lays a great foundation for the rest of the album, you can hear the heavy psych/sludge sound we love. When the second song kicks in, you get a feeling of The Black Angels at the start. But this quickly gives way to something more of their own sound after a minute or two. This one has a heavy ending that definitely rocks.
‘Blackened Sky’ starts sort of soft with a pounding drum beat, but this song kicks into gear about halfway through with some great guitar work and some heavy riffs. One of our favorites is the kick-ass song titled ‘Only Time’. This tune is a little heavier than most of the songs on here. ‘Shutter Part I & II’ has a great sound and some very heavy riffs. The vocals are cleaner in these songs and it could be the fastest paced area of music on the album.
A pounding drum beat carries ‘Animals’ for a bit at the start until a killer guitar riff kicks in. Another outstanding tune on this album. Then they finish up this record the same way it started, with the instrumental song ‘II”. And seeing this was our introduction to Stonebirds, we couldn’t be much happier and will be seeking out some of their other material to see how it sizes up to the newest release.
While this album doesn’t produce much headbangin’, it does have a great psychedelic sound and feels to it. If you’re into bands like The Black Angels, but with a bit heavier sound, then you should have no problem with Stonebirds. Time changes throughout the songs keep things flowing well. At times things are somewhat slow, but then that guitar riff hammers your ears. Throw in plenty of fuzz, and your ears should be happy for the hour you get to listen.
This album is on the mellow side of metal, but a great listen. We would love to get a chance to see these guys live. Definitely, would like to see how this sound stacks up in a live show environment. Until that opportunity comes, we’ll have to grab some of their other albums and sit back and chill!
Written by: Pam and Mark Schaff
Ratings: 8/10