August 30, 2013

Shriner - 2011 demo

Review by Aaron Sullivan.


Hailing from New Jersey comes the Sludgy Post-Metal band known as Shriner. Jersey has a pretty healthy Sludge scene with bands like Sadgiqacea and Ominous Black to name a few. With this demo Shriner are looking to add their name to the mix.

This genre is one that seems to produce a new band every few minutes, so finding one that can separate itself from the pack can be hard. With Shriner it’s not what they do in the heavy department that sets them apart but rather the quiet parts. They don’t mind getting quiet with shimmering guitar parts that seem to sway back and forth. These are atmospheres you can get lost in, hypnotic and beautiful. Then, in comes the heavy to snap you back to reality. Crushing distortion to push your speakers to their limit. Three songs, two clocking in at over 10 minutes (and the third pretty close to ten) they do a great job of always moving the song along. Never shifting gears too abruptly, but also never staying in one place too long. Vocals are harsh but low enough in the mix to not overshadow the music. The production overall is great.

In a genre as over run as Post Metal it is nice to hear a band that gets it right. I see big things happening for Shriner. Or at least as big can get for a band that play’s Metal.


[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

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