Hydra Head
Warren's vocals sound like they areerupting from the mouth of a biker-boy from hell and his bass soundsalmost too thick and grotesque to be called just a bass instrument.Backing up the chugging riffs and igneous yelps is Willis' constantlyshifting percussive movements. Willis never exactly moves me into astate of awe, but his chops are heavy and perfect for this record,staying simple and moving with the rumble and sway of the guitarplaying. For every repetitive chord there is a new fill or a differentset of rhythms hacked out of the snare, bass, and toms that keepsthings from getting too predictable. At least the music doesn't get toopredictable most of the time. "O.G." is a convincing start, the whistleof some stranger echoing out before the beginning of the song as thougha western movie of the most violent proportions is about to begin. Sureenough a gargantuan sounds pours out of the speakers as the whistleends and neither Warren nor Willis bothers to attenuate their rotundand shaking playing until the track ends. "Focus Pocus" continues themetallic spasms that opened the album, but focuses somewhat more on thespaces and dynamics that exist between the loud and the extremely loud."White Pizazz," on the other hand, doesn't stand the two-man test thatBig Business puts it up to; the expanded melodies are nice, but it letsgo of the pressure that the album has developed a little too quickly,plus Warren's performance is, at times, a bit on the over-done side. Head for the Shallowis over 40 minutes long, but contains only eight tracks. As a result,some of these songs go on just a little too long. Nonetheless, there'sa wealth of heavy goodness literally oozing out of every note and, witha few exceptions, Head for the Shallow sounds like a jackhammeror an electric shock out of the past. The music definitely has itsroots in the music of a certain Brainwashed poll favorite, butultimately the grind of the music is primal and crushing and seated ina muck all its own.
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