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Band Name: Confessor
Album Name: Sour Times
Rating: 4 / 5 User Rating: 3 / 5
Label: Season of Mist Records
Buy Album: Amazon.com
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Tracklist
1. Sour Times
2. Hibernation
3. Condemned [Remastered]
4. Sour Times [Radio Edit]
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A metal faction that should have broken big time way back in the early 90's resurfaces here with this awfully limited EP that serves as a taste of what is to come on their full length return, 'Unraveled', which is scheduled to see the light of day in early autumn of 2005. Those who were enamored with Confessor's sole proper release, 'Condemned' will be pleased about this group's triumphant return, as this brief tease is laden with everything that had metal fans up in arms the first go around. Syrupy configurations with a distinctly intimidating vibe are contorted and manipulated in multifaceted patterns. Guitarists Brian Shoaf and new lead guitarist Shawn McCoy provide intensely weighty axe work that results in massively complex grooving. It would be these grooves that give Confessor a patently ominous sound as the group surrender the dark melancholy of 'Sour Times.' Vocalist Scott Jeffreys emits supernatural, chilling choral discourse here that rivals Trouble's Eric Wagner in terms of sheer, squalid vocal mastery. The gloomy tone of 'Hibernation' offers listeners colossal channels of blissfully shadowy resonance, showing that the reincarnation of Confessor was quite long overdue, indeed. The extremely percussive, jazzy stick acrobatics of Steve Shelton is cleanly out of this world on this dismally vibrant cut. Long time fans are treated to a tasty reworking of the group's 'Condemned' which is culled from their 1990 demo 'Collapse.' This intricate track appears in remastered form on this release and should satisfy fans old and new alike, being more similar to the more thrashy intonations of Watchtower than the group's two more recent progressions of doom. Also included is the abbreviated radio edit of the title cut, as well as a video clip of 'The Last Judgment' that was filmed in 1996, this being the final performance of the group with axe wielder Ivan Colon who was taken from this world in 2002. ) Previously a guitar tech for the potently powerful ensemble, Ivan joined Confessor in 1991 upon the group's signing to Earache Records, appearing on the 'Condemned 'release. It would be Colon's passing that would reunite the group, and in due course, result in this tremendous comeback. Additionally, the enhanced portion of the EP includes a Confessor screen saver and a plethora of pictures of the group, both old and new. If you wish to place this crucial platter of technical, doomish metal in your personal collection, you had better quickly make a move to procure it; there are only a few hundred of these to go around! When taking into consideration the group's much revered standing amongst metal circles, this highly anticipated jewel should be sold out in a manner of days.
Review by: EF
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