CROWN FIRE

This album is a portal to another dimension. I kid you not. Conifer has perfected the Psychedelic Sludge Metal formula to such an extent that is not too far-fetched to name them along giants such as Pelican, Mogwai, Cult of Luna or Isis. The album has a certain kind of organic feeling that fits the band's name perfectly and flows just nicely, this music has an entrancing quality to it. Standouts include the opener Surface Fire, Cruciform Eppinage (gotta love those titles!) and the majestic avant-garde metal from Song For Krom, towering with its 15:25 minutes of mammoth riffage and tribal drumming. Special mention must go to the last track, Crown Fire, the only track on this record with vocals, courtesy of Eugene Robinson the lead singer of Oxbow. This song is the most disturbing piece of rock i've heard in y life, the thundering bass lines...that mumbling voice...the skitzofrenic guitar... it's a freakin' nightmare sent by ancient, forgotten gods from the void! And i mean it in a good way!

Well, i can't recomend this album highly enough, BUY IT! P.S. In case you're asking, this is a stoner-friendly album, if you're into that sort of thing...ejem.

First of all the cover art is pleasing to the eye, that picture of a body of water with forest all around it. It reminds me of places way north of where I live where you can only get to by boat. This band is from Portland, Maine and play a heavy brand of Post-Rock that reminded me at times of KYUSS and NEUROSIS. This is all instrumental except for the final track.The album is often doom-like, although the band themselves refer to their music as Kraut-Metal. Being influenced by many of the old German bands of the seventies apparently. In my opinion the heavy sludge is the dominating theme though.

The only song with vocals is the title track which features a guest vocalist from the band OXBOW. To say this song is disturbing is an understatement.The lyrics are sung in a demented way as he describes chasing another man and then raping and killing him. As he's burying him the man comes to life and escapes. End of story. Garbage, absolute trash in my opinion.This is the first cd i've reviewed after one listen. Sorry but this isn't worth listening to again.