Evolution is part of the creative process. I don’t mean undisciplined evolution, but the kind that pushes your art into a new direction without losing the core of who you are. Doomriders manages to evolve, but not lose their identity, on their new release Grand Blood. What’s interesting here is that Doomriders’ evolution is orchestrated through harsher production, jagged structures and far less polished riffage than past efforts. In short, Doomriders has cast out what they’ve done before, and decided to just get really, really pissed off.
Yes, I know, Doomriders were never a happy band, but Grand Blood is something else, something much more sinister. This is a catharsis album; a collection of songs that doesn’t fire random bursts of anger in any direction, but rather bleeds the poisons of frontman Nate Newton deep into the construct of the music. The difference in the band is apparent from the opening riff of “New Pyramids”. There’s a desperation to the playing, a frantic energy as though a guy was sitting in the studio with a gun saying, “If you don’t play this with full balls out, I’m going to open fire.” Rolling drums keep “New Pyramids” from ever finding a sturdy base. Instead the song steamrolls over you, as the guitar work of Newton and Chris Pupecki coils together like barbed wire.
I enjoy that Doomriders don’t wait to give you a hit. “Mankind” could be one of the best songs the band has ever written. The opening guitar riff grabs your head, while the heaviness of the rest of the band hits hard behind it. Taking structure cues from metal stalwarts like Testament and Exodus, “Mankind” is powered by drums and guitars that punish, but never succumb to being all power. The chorus cries out for an audience sing along, and Newton manages to keep harmonies flowing throughout.
There’s a tempestuous battle happening here, between metal and hardcore. Newton, who rages on bass for Converge, allows his hardcore influences to shine through the metal. Pupecki, who hails from classic underground bands like Cast Iron Hike and the way, way, way underrated Blacktail, keeps right up with the onslaught. Taking their varied musical backgrounds, the two meet a definite confluence with Grand Blood. The songs are busier, balancing metal and hardcore together over an open cauldron of sounds inspired by Melvins, Black Flag, Void and even some Bl’ast.
At no point does one of these influences outshine the other. The title track is pure hardcore, tempered not with metal but pure rock fury. “Bad Vibes” opens the songwriting up a bit, injecting noisier elements into a storm of bombastic guitars. “We Live In Shadows” is just mean. A huge monolith of a song that stomps into existence. Doomriders are taking some brave steps here, steps that will for sure alienate the fans that can’t grow with them. Take the melodious “Gone To Hell”. Doomriders step completely out of their genre for this song, producing a jam that harkens back to when Soundgarden didn’t suck, or Alice In Chains were an actual metal band.
Not everyone will embrace this directional shift, which is their loss. One of my only complaint with Grand Blood is “Father Midnight”, which doesn’t work as a last song. It’s too heavy-handed, and kind of boring. Grand Blood should have come to a close with “Back Taxes”, which is another hit. This thing grooves like a thousand pimps on an out of control bus of funk bass players bones. Sure, “Back Taxes” is heavy, but it’s also a damn fine rump shaker.
Helping all these ideas congeal is Newton’s vocals, which are some of the best he’s ever laid down. The guy can scream like a hardcore purist, growl, and then ramp it up to actual singing. None of what Grand Blood is would work if his vocals couldn’t change with the jams. To be true to the truth and have style, I would like Newton to have stretched even further. More surprises like “Gone To Hell”, and maybe one less track that’s an easier sell. He has the pipes; it’s time to use them.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about Kurt Ballou’s production. Once again the Dr. Dre Of Heavy Music knows exactly what the band needs. There’s so much going on in Grand Blood, and it’s all drenched in dirty, saturated, noisy guitars. Ballou captures that, but never sacrifices clarity. You can hear everything happening, the album stays heavy, but also dirty and corrosive. It’s all the raw power of a basement demo, but with huge sound behind it. I’m going to start calling Kurt Mr. Ballou, simply so I can say to him, “Oh Ballou, you’ve done it again.”
Grand Blood is a deeper, more introspective record than Doomriders has ever released. It also fucking rocks!!
