FEATHERGUN

This band was recommended to me as being a similar band to Tool, and thankfully I ended up with something completely different. Sure, the vocalist's voice OCCASIONALLY sounds a tad bit like Maynard Keenan, but it's pretty rare and their vocal styles are almost completely different from one another. As for the instrumentation, I'd be hard pressed to find any sort of Tool influence on this album, which is definitely a good thing.

Feathergun is a fantastic album, but I feel there are a few things preventing it from getting a full five stars in my book. There are a lot of interesting ideas on this album, but at times I can't help but feel like they're a little bit misguided in their direction. There are a few points throughout the album where flow is awkward or even broken. Also, there seems to be much more emphasis on vocals and guitar, whereas the bassist and drummer appear to take the back seat. It feels as though the rhythm section is "just there", and as such there aren't really any standout moments for either of them.

I would highly recommend this album despite its minor flaws. This is definitely a band I will be keeping my eye on in the future.

Standout tracks on this album include "Scissorlips", "Downhill", "Feathergun in the Garden of the Sun" and "Katsushika", though I don't feel like there's a single bad track on the whole album.