Vinyl Review: "Endless Descent" by Junior Bruce

Endless Descent

Today was supposed to be a really awesome day for my family and I. There were a great many plans that we had made for today. However, Mother Nature decided that all of our plans were mutable.

Instead of seeing a movie, going to the Library, and perhaps taking in a hockey game, we have been locked inside of our house...and without bacon.

Considering last evening St. Louis was pounded with sleet and today's no better, it seems that staying inside of our house and enjoying time as a family was better than the solo fender bender I engaged in on my way home from the office last night.

In this spirit, I have spirited away to the upstairs lounge to resume my consideration of Junior Bruce's latest effort, Endless Descent on vinyl.

Could have been philosophers....but maybe they are?

Before going any further, this is the place to extend my gratitude to the Bruces from Orlando, FL for sending me a copy of their record for review.

It came out on Halloween this year, but due to the numbers game, it didn't get a review from me.

That's rather unfortunate.

Endless Descent is a striking album. Most Stoner/Doom/Sludge bands seem to have only one setting be it fast or slow or explosion.

Junior Bruce is immediately, in my opinion,sent to the front of the pack by their ability to write songs and well, an album of music.

Nuance plays a big part in this record.

It's full of groove and well, metal. More often than not, the Latter Day Sabbathians lack the ability to play Sabbathian music or they're just too stoned when the red light goes on.

There's a certain, magical band that I'm presently thinking of right now...you know their name.

The Philosophy Department of the University of Wallamaloo would be quite proud, should they be able to set their Fosters down long enough to put the needle on the record, of the Junior Bruce and what he and his friends have been able to accomplish on this record.

Progressive, heavy, angry, and musical. That's what Endless Descent is. The only downside is that this record can never be played loud enough. Mankind has yet to acquire the technology to play this record as loud as it deserves, but I tried.

It's not my style to give up all of their secrets, but do your best to discover them.

Before getting too deep into the physicality of this set, let it be known, this record does indeed come with a  download code. While doing the video, I didn't see it, but afterwards, I looked more close and found it.

For future purchasers of this record, please note the download code is very small. It won't work for a bookmark like my download code card from Morrow...

The record is pressed, my copy anyway, on translucent orange vinyl. Let it be known, orange is an ugly color, but when you translucify it, damn does it become gorgeous. Colored vinyl is one of the coolest advances of the modern vinyl age, but the drawback is that I have several of them in the same colors....

This is the only the second record I've gotten in translucent anything and the only in straight orange. Orange creamsicle though...that's a thing and I have more than one.

The record is good and thick and mine is that gorgeous translucent orange...which I cannot seem to stop talking about.

The cover art is so big and intricate to only be truly enjoyed on a 12" vinyl sleeve. The sleeve itself is not a gatefold.

Release: 10/31/16
Genre: Doom/Stoner/Sludge Metal
Label: A389 Records
Formats: Vinyl/Digital
Limited Edition: Colored Orange (sold out) Black available
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(NOTE: There was a phone mishap while filming the unboxing video. Long story short, it's in two parts.)