Album Review: Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Eponymous

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth

Today we'll be reviewing another debut record.

I started writing these reviews back in 2012 because I'd heard so many people saying that music was over and tired and everything that could be done was done and that no one was making good music anymore.

Well people have said that every decade since forever....and today we have even more proof of it!

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth (granted, not the best name) has been kicking around Seattle, WA since 2007. Aside from their original demo and a split EP, nothing has been heard from them in the wider world.

The group is a veteran trio of hard rockers: Tad Doyle on vocals and guitar, Peggy Doyle on bass, and Dave French on the drums. Between them, they've got connections to TAD, Hog Molly, and The Anunnaki. Simply put, they know how to rock.

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth

We're talking about a sludgey, doomy, stoner metal album here.

The guitars have that sound, that frankly, I don't know how it's made. It sounds like there's molasses on the strings and tar on the pickups, but still maintaining sonic clarity and punch.

It's a glorious thing.

This is more of the Orange Goblin brand of stoner metal than the Electric Wizard, but there's also a touch of Karma To Burn.

This album is not overflowing with with poetic metaphors. That is to say it's largely instrumental. I would wager that it has about as much singing as the current era of Steve Vai albums...

Or maybe less, but definitely not more.

The vocals are the coolest part about this record. Most metal vocalists have their niche.

Hetfield shouts in key. David Vincent growls. Jeff Walker screeches. Ozzy...he does that thing Ozzy does..

Here, Tad Doyle touches on all of those styles of vocals over the course of this album. They are never the focal point of the song, but the variety is an awesome change of pace because it never seems like a put on. In each song, they're just different.

The riffs and rhythm section are hypnotic. There is nothing short or sweet about this album. Most of the songs are quite long and sound lovingly like chainsaws dipped in tar.

Some of the best stoner metal to come out in some time.

Release: 2/17/15
Genre: Stoner Metal
Label: Neurot Recordings
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