Album Details

• Artist: Black Tusk
• Album: Set The Dial
• Label: Relapse
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2011-09-08

The simplicity of prototype rock and roll is something that has been utilized to some degree by every generation of rockers, headbangers and metalheads since the conception of the derivative sound. Concise and uncomplicated chord structures, driving rhythms with minimal breathing room, grooves first and solo moments a distant second. Whil Georgia's Black Tusk should not be deemed a "simple man's band", they certainly to offer more appeal to those seeking riffs short and sweet, and grooves strong and loud. They never deviate too far from an established down-tuned, mid-paced stomp, but the percussion does speed the matter up when a tempo shift is called for.

"Brewing The Storm" and "Bring Me Darkness" are solid starts to a solid album, pulsing with punk aesthetic and bubbling over with a stoner metal sludge. The band manages to grasp aspects of both genres and hone them down to their finer points without overcomplicating the sounds. Focus narrowed and aim precise, the band takes a stab at some Kyuss-y stoner pop (?) on "Ender Of All", where the hooks and grooves feel a bit more immediate. Much of the album continues in similar fashion, but tracks like "Resistor" and "Growing Horns" stand on their on merits.

Set The Dial is metal-punk-stoner-sludge-core-doom...stuff...in it's purest form. You'll know the sound, akin to the likes of Baroness, Kyuss and others. It has a hard edge, but at it's core it retains the groove and melody that will keep you spinning the disc long after your initial exposure. Black Tusk is a name on the rise in the metal community. 

User Reviews and Comments

on 2011-09-08 hstisgod Said:

wow... fantastic review. I skimmed this record and knew it has something promising.
Not Rated