Blue Ox: Holy Vore

It’s been ten years since Blue Ox released their second album, Stray Dogs on Pity Party Island. That album was generally well-received, and it showed us a band that was pushing themselves into new and ever more aggressive directions. With this release, the band continues to push themselves not only by adding a new rhythm section, but also developing a more interesting dynamic range. They also experiment with d-beat drumming and triplet-picking on the guitars. For those worried about what ten years can do to this band’s raw energy, don’t worry. The band is just as hard and aggressive as they ever were. If anything, this album just pushes the music into harder and even more aggressive places. Most of the tracks just get right to it. “It Doesn’t Work� is a strong opener and does away with any worries that the band has lost their edge. The chuggy mid-section was especially strong. “Fly By Blight,� another solid track, gets my vote for the best nod to Rush while also sounding just as bleak and terrible as can be. Part of me thought it would have been even cooler if the band played around with Rush’s famous opening riff. But they didn’t. Oh, well. I’ll take the nifty pun. Other highlights for me were “Lesser Gods and the Science of Superstition� and “Terrestrial Anxiety.� The bleakness of the latter was especially pointed.

For those wondering about the band’s current lineup, here it is: Dennis Hanson (vocals), Logan Kelly (guitar); Mike Van Heel (guitar); Dan Johnson (drums); and Luke Olson (bass/vocals). I can only assume the guys will hit the road before too long. They have a reputation for putting on a great show and these songs should help keep things going strong.

Track Listing:
1. It Doesn’t Work
2. Imploding Lazarus
3. Fly by Blight
4. Left to the Drift
5. Lesser Gods and the Science of Superstition
6. Terrestrial Anxiety
7. Nostrum Bomb

Added: June 29th 2021
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Bandcamp Page
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Language: english

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