Enhailer/Black Pyramid Split

[Dylan Thomas]

So the reviews are beginning to come if for this one....

A big thanks to Jason from the Supercorruptor blog!

https://supercorrupter.wordpress.com/2020/05/11/album-review-enhailer-black-pyramid-split-lp/?fbclid=IwAR1Nd4SvPnMmiCLvzTGwQyUIncg5Gk4PcIGPR3VQhH9QMGHpMKyVIFTfUWI

ALBUM REVIEW: ENHAILER/BLACK PYRAMID – SPLIT LP

Posted on May 11, 2020
Today I listened to the latest from Akron buds, Enhailer. It just so happens to be a split with Massachusett's own Black Pyramid. Each band delivers a gaggle of riffs and vibes across 15-16 minutes of material each. If you're into heavy, sludgy stoner metal or trippy, dense rock and roll, you should check this out! – Jason

ENHAILER
Full disclosure, we've played a ton of shows with Enhailer over the years and I'm internet pals with all the guys in the current lineup. This blog has featured everything that they've put out going back to the initial demo. This is the first record with Coler Riffle (Bonk, 200 Black Bear On The Horizon, etc.) on guitar and vocals, despite Coler being in the band for a number of years now. The songs sound great, but a little different from past Enhailer material. Perhaps it's a "cleaner" sound? I can't quite put my finger on it, but I guess I'd liken it to how Alex Newport made Kylesa sound so clean on To Walk A Middle Course? It's a huge, heavy sound but not as grimy as earlier releases. The bass is thick in the mix; more fat than gritty. The guitars are in your face and heavy but plenty articulate to let the riffs breathe. The drums sound big and punchy with every kick thumping along with ease. The vocals shift from spoken word to screaming to even some clean bits. All in all, it's a great addition to Enhailer's discography. The band continues with their penchant for building out their side of the split to be seamless, with each track morphing into the next.

Pearlesque – Opening with a sample from the film Network (I think) playing out over a bed of amplifier feedback, the song eventually gets moving nearly a minute in with a depressing sounding guitar bit. It's another 30 seconds or so before the drums and bass really get going, along with a buried vocal that sounds like a spoken word piece – maybe it's a sample too? It's hard to tell. It's a simple groove that gets me bobbing along. It's alright.

Death On Speed Dial – Erupting from the fading wash of the opener with furious metallic riffing, the band gets down to business. I recall hearing this one live and it's a ripper in that realm. Mike's bass gets a brief little spotlight on it and that nasty top end finally squeaks through! Tasty! The tempo is up and Coler's vocals sound pissed! I've got a bit of a stink face going on. The half-time bit starting at the two-thirds point is a neck wrecker in contrast to the busier uptempo blitz leading into it. Tough! Thumbs up!

Drudgery – Kicking off with Gene Wilder telling Charlie he lost, the heaviness continues and I'm scowling in disgust. This one also shreds live. The vocals sound multi-tracked and are fierce. There's a clean vocal in this that reminds me of Steven Brodsky's work in Cave In. Nice touch. Thumbs way up – it's a rocker!

Enjoy The Flaying – After opening with a slightly clumsy sounding intro, this one goes balls to the wall with sweet riffs and even eases up with a psyche-rock sort of bridge section before the brutality resumes. There's an awesome winding riff at one point that totally killer. Thumbs up.

BLACK PYRAMID
This is the first I've ever heard from Black Pyramid. They deliver as single, lengthy song, but they do a pretty good job of mixing up tones and phrasing to keep it fresh and moving along nicely. Their half of the split also sounds great. Again, the drums sound big, giving each side of the split a solid foundation. Black Pyramid's guitars are fuzzier and maybe a little muddier as a result, but they serve the song well. The bass is leaner and dirtier, pairing well with the drums without further muddying the guitar sound. The sporadic, clean vocals are seated a bit down in the mix, which works to their advantage. There's nothing wrong with the vocals or the performance, but it's clear that the riffs are the primary focus here. Overall, it's a heavy and groovy number that builds to a nice climax.

Quantum Phoenix – The delay effect on the bass at the opening of this cut is cool and gives the song an immediate psychedelic vibe. The fuzzy guitars keep up the vibe even as the bass shifts into more typical territory (ditches the delay). The band does a great job of plodding through mid-tempo riffs, easily getting my head a-bobbing and my toes a-tapping. There are plenty of guitar melodies floated over the repetitive drum and bass groove that fills the majority of the middle of the tune, but parts of it might drag a bit anyhow. I'm honestly a little over fifteen-minute-long songs at this point, but this is a solid jam. The last five minutes in particular are pretty rockin', with the tempo coming up and the riffs getting nastier and more in your face. Bang your head!

[socket]

nice! will check out. enhailer's good.

[Dylan Thomas]

nice! will check out. enhailer's good.

Yeah, their tracks are really cool, a bit different for them.