Broozer
II
Grindhead Records
Release Date: Out Now
Review by Cameron Cooper
Arguably, sludge/stoner doom is bigger now than it has ever been. With the genre so over-populated, it would be easy to write off any bunch of bearded blokes with psychedelic album art as simply another step towards the genre’s eventual stagnation. But give the Melbourne trio Broozer a second look and you’ll find they offer something a bit different, having more in common with Exhorder and Autopsy than Acid Bath.
The true hero of the band’s sound has to be Retch Bile’s bass. With an upfront, fuzzy-and-punchy tone, he drives forward the majority of the band’s songs, bouncing between stomping grooves and more intricate lines reminiscent of Death and other old school death metal. The band have opted to keep the three-piece vibe alive on their recordings, which means for minimal (if any) overdubbed parts, forcing all three to absolutely bring it on their instruments. A stripped-back, galloping approach to the drums by Dario Amati is just what Bruce Ibbotson’s evil rhythms and alien licks needed, all wrapped up by Bile’s whisky-scorched vocals.
The band kick things into greater extremes as they approach the end of the record, with gloomy, monstrous riffs chiming over film samples. No desire. No pain’ takes on a sparse, open vibe before shifting into a hardcore roller-coaster of riffs, and shows the band’s more esoteric side.
Song titles like All she wanted was some dick, dawn and a gram of cocaine and Sour all the same at least I can taste where I’ve been, might seem a bit too on the nose but the sonic rumblings within more than make up for it. This album takes the heavy, dirging feeling of sludge and presents it with the tightness and attitude of death metal.
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