Portland, OR based stoner metal/rock band Red Fang return with their third studio release entitled Whales and Leeches (Relapse) and I honestly can’t stop listening to it. It’s different from their previous releases but that’s part of what makes this album so wonderful.

Our journey begins with ‘Doen’, a song that sports one of the faster tempos on the album. It’s not a bad place to start, the song is catchy and will definitely get your head moving. ‘Doen’ may not be a masterpiece but it’s a solid track and sets the stage for what is to come. However, this is just the beginning, and if you pay close attention, you’ll feel the entire album’s mood change, song by song.

Skipping down to track number seven, we have ‘Dawn Rising’, where listeners are treated to a hauntingly beautiful song featuring Mike Scheidt of YOB fame. It’s sticky, dark, and perhaps even a bit terrifying. That drumming and then that creepy breathing forty seconds in is creepy and fantastic – creeptastic. If I ever get murdered, this is the song I want to be playing when some crime show does a dramatic reenactment of it.

Fans who decide to purchase the deluxe edition get two bonus tracks; ‘Murder the Moutains’ and ‘Black Water’. ‘Black Water’, which isn’t a cover of a Doobie Brothers song like I had originally hoped it would be, is easily my favorite of the two. It’s simply hypnotizing and deserves a special mention.

Whales and Leeches…The more I listen to this album, the more the name fits. The album gets heavier and slower as it progresses. You can almost feel yourself slipping beneath the water’s surface and sinking into the murky depths below as fluid floods your lungs. It’s something you can feel in your gut and in your bones. I love it and can’t wait to lose my mind all over again when my LP gets in. This is a great album for both old and new fans alike, give it a listen and see where it takes you.

8.5

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Aleida La Llave