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Band Name: American Black Lung, the
Album Name: Sudden Departure of Vultures
Rating: 3.5 / 5 User Rating: 3.7 / 5
Label: Uprising Records
Buy Album: Amazon.com
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Tracklist
1. Behold The Mighty Galactus
2. Cufflinks
3. The Skyline Itself Is Alive
4. Call Me Animal
5. They Wept As They Drowned
6. At His Best
7. Doc Bollywood
8. Werewolves By Night
9. Born Of A Broken Man
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At first listen, one would think that The American Black Lung is riding the d of bands like Every Time I Die and to a lesser extent, Cancer Bats. TABL fits right in with the distressed, manic sonic attitudes of each of these acts. But upon further inspection, you'll discover that they're much more rock, and to some extent, punk oriented than either of the aforementioned bands.
“Sudden Departure Of Vultures” is very edgy and reckless at its core, with piles of Steve Jones and Greg Ginn-influenced riffing, plenty of energy and power but most importantly, an intense focus that allows the band to zero in on it's main mission – to rock your ass to death. You'll uncover five new tracks here, plus a couple of previously released tunes that deserved another shot at assailing your eardrums, plus covers, firstly a well done rendition of “Call Me Animal” by the mighty MC5, as well as a brief interpretation of Rage Against The Machine's “Born Of A Broken Man.” All in all, a nicely rounded affair that's the hardcore rock equivalent of a nasty-ass case of ‘roid rage strung out over the course of an entire weekend.
It's when The American Black Lung digs into a jagged groove that the band is at its best. “Behold The Mighty Galactus” finds the group careening out of control, set to explode at any second and leaving the listener in shock and awe with its gritty yet vibrant approach. “The Skyline Itself Is Alive” displays a bluesy touch musically that's offset by a harsh vocal delivery, while “At His Best He Was A Lonely Heart” reigns in the chaos for a bit of fist-pumping, mashed-up Southern Rock.
For those unfamiliar with the band, “Sudden Departure Of Vultures” makes for a good introduction to the off-kilter, sandpaper-scrubbed rabble rousing that is The American Black Lung. While not entirely original, the band's delivery is strong and its songwriting quite solid. Pointing to even greater things to come, this record is a good place to get things started. Whether you're an ETID diehard looking for a similar act to groove on or you're just a wreck from spinning that record from The Jonbenet over and over again, there's enough substance here to help you forget about the daily bullshit and escape to that place where everything just flipping rocks.
Review by: E.F.
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