The glory of stoner metal, when it is executed well, is that some truly earth-shattering riffs will be shot through with more groove than a houseful of vinyl. One of the genre’s evident failings, though, is that it’s often based around jam sessions which are ten-a-penny in your local rock pub, and more often than not accompanied by a growly shouter who sounds as if someone’s just stabbed them in the leg. This four-track EP from Virginia Beach-based quartet Pillbuster places huge feet in both areas.
Brothel (Stonerkill) gets off to a killer start as a throaty, funking riff is led downstairs by a sparse yet kicking beat, to be mauled by a deliciously squalling bluesy lead. It all seems very promising until Brett Lloyd‘s voice enters the fray. The guy sounds as if he’s struggling to control a heavily gravelled, low octave holler for fear of it exploding and spraying all over the place. In fairness he manages to hold on throughout, aided by an increasingly crushing rhythm guitar dwarfing the vocal impact, using psychedelic effects to great purpose at the outset of video release ‘Hateburn’, which also contains some more of Joe Festa‘s nifty leadwork.
A meaty production, heightening the effect of all ‘low end’ elements, undoubtedly assists the power of this EP from the start, yet by the closing title track, the other common downfall of stoner – a style reluctant to weave far from its template – is beginning to kick in. Only a couple of nice solo workouts save the track from utter tedium and relieve the effects of Lloyd’s festering roar, which by this point contains all the attraction of tinnitus. Whilst having an arse full of bed sores.
It’s by no means all bad despite the irritation of certain factors and the occasionally mundane, derivative sound, that groove will get you rolling your head and rocking from side to side in the evening rush-hour queues. The live setting could see Pillbuster really catch fire, but a full album of this stuff could see it turn offensive for all the wrong reasons.
6.0/10.0
PAUL QUINN