ALBUM REVIEW: Yakuza – Sutra


 

This experimental Chicago band has been toying with the dark sonic corners for over twenty years. It’s been eleven of those years since we have had a new album from Yakuza, and it is good to dive back into their land of twisted shadows. The focus has shifted to a more deliberate brand of heavy, that places them not far from the sonic zip code of older Mastodon. The differences are fewer guitar pyrotechnics and a much darker trajectory than the Atlanta progsters. Bruce Lamont’s baritone moan carries a hint of anger as the opening track is framed with dissonance.

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Barren Altar – Entrenched in the Faults of the Earth


Black filth from the hearts of scumbags” states the Facebook page of Californian quintet Barren Altar, and some of the band’s previous song titles seem to bear that out with considerable strength. Each band member is identified by just one initial, but debut album Entrenched in the Faults of the Earth (Self-released) eventually creates a strong enough identity of its own.Continue reading