2016
Stoner/Sludge Metal
Black Bow Records
"Herb Your Enthusiasm" is the second full length LP by Boss Keloid. Though the band were formed in Wigan, they have taken up a spiritual residence at nearby Bolton's The Alma Inn, one of the centre points of the Manchester Metal Collective, or North West Metal scene, whatever you want to call it. Boss Keloid's debut album "The Calming Influence of Teeth", garnered strong reviews, throwing Mastodon, Meshuggah and Tool into a blender. Since then, songwriter and riff merchant Paul "Uncle Crow" Swarbrick has recruited his younger brother Adam to step in on bass guitar.
Over a year before Boss Keloid even set foot into Chris Fielding's (Conan) Skyhammer Studios to record the album, they made the bold decision to perform nothing but new material at their live shows. This is something that could have easily alienated fans of their debut album, but having been at many of their shows along the way, I can assure that the reaction has been phenomenal, and their fanbase has certainly expanded. Rehearsing like mad and playing nothing but new material must have been a challenge even for the band members, but the songs have evolved along the way and the chemistry between the new line-up has tightened and tightened. Boss Keloid never take an easy ride, and have pushed the complexity and depth of their music even further. If you have heard their debut LP, you will know that it is one of those records that demands repeat listens. They have a lot going on in their sound, and one of Keloid's finest signatures is their love of super tech riffage. Complex time signatures and winding guitar scales are something that seems to come so naturally to the band.
Compared to their debut LP, "Herb Your Enthusiasm" overall feels a tiny bit more accessible. It hits you more directly and explores more melodic territory, even throwing in a big chorus here and there. But that said, none of the colossal heaviness and complexity has been softened or sacrificed. "Herb Your Enthusiasm" almost plays like a concept album, with each track exploring the all the feels and effects of smoking weed. Though this has kind of become a Stoner Metal cliché, it actually is turned into quite a deep running motif throughout. The very first lyric of opening behemoth "Lung Mountain", "Somebody's watching, making a judgement..." suggests paranoia. Whilst "Cone" explores the moment the weed hits, "I feel a symptom coming, I feel a relaxation in my brain". Rather than straight up worshipping the herb, it feels more like they are thinking about every aspect of it, the ups and the downs. There are songs that feel like a spiritual awakening, whilst the opening riff of "Cone" is damn right evil, making the track feel like a bad trip is unfolding.
Just like Slabdragger's latest album "Rise of the Dawncrusher", Boss Keloid have made an album that you need to take your time with. This hour long beast can feel overwhelming in one sitting, but there is so much depth and versatility here that you know the album is worth coming back to again and again. Fortunately the album pulls you in so well, with what is possibly the greatest song they have ever written. "Lung Mountain" has this beautiful way of combining twiddly techy riffs, with straight up pounding Sludge, in a truly masterful way. One of the things I love about Boss Keloid is that they aim higher than most of their peers. Whilst most bands in the Doom and Stoner genre are comfortable just to let each power chord ring out to achieve heaviness, Adam and Paul mix it up much more. The use of arpeggios is not something a lot of bands in this genre are doing, and it makes them stand out so well. This is a band that clearly prefer Sleep's impossibly complicated "Dopesmoker" LP to the more accessible "Holy Mountain". Of course, making an album full of odd time signatures and busy guitar work could end up wearing out the listener, so it's great that we have tracks like "Axis of Green", that are able to wind things down. This is a huge standout on the album that is just a pure Metal banger, featuring a massive chorus. Just when it starts to feel too technical and progressive, Boss Keloid know when to scale things back and let the music breathe.
The biggest difference between "Herb..." and their fantastic debut album, is that the band feel more comfortable with their own sound. Whilst I can easily compare their debut album to Mastodon, Meshuggah, Sleep and Tool in equal measures, "Herb..." is an album that is much harder to find comparisons with. I have a feeling that guitarist Paul knew he was onto something with his signature evil twiddly, winding and weaving scales, and he has found the confidence to deliver more of them and explore them further. None of the other Sludge bands in the Manchester Metal Collective are really doing this, nor many other bands in the genre, and it is what sets Boss Keloid apart and what makes them so fascinating. Another important part of Boss Keloid that must be mentioned is their powerful frontman Alex Hurst. The Jamaican born vocalist delivers a huge array of different vocal sounds across the album. He can do screams, growls and clean vocals phenomenally well, sounding like the Captain Caveman of Metal! The big choruses like those in "Axis of Green" and "Lung Mountain" feel incredibly soulful and powerful, whilst on "Cone" he has a more muted, and whispered performance, giving the song a sinister, paranoid edge. He can really just do anything with his voice, making me think of the diversity of Mike Patton. One of the coolest moments of the album is in the last minute and a half of "Lung Mountain". Just when you think the song has winded down and finished, it kicks back in with an almighty riff and Alex sings this tribal "ooh, ahh ahh". In fact you could even say it is like a better, less cheesy version of Disturbed in this moment (oh yeah... I went there!)
If you like simplicity in music, then "Herb Your Enthusiasm" might be too much of a challenge for you. Boss Keloid aren't the kind of band to take the easy route and make an album of Sabbath worship. They have created a very original sound, and they want to challenge the listener. Even in a live setting, this is a band you have to take time with and think about. The band members are constantly pushing themselves, exploring new horizons and to be a fan of the band is to take that journey with them. "Herb Your Enthusiasm" is a deeply spiritual and headfucking record. It is one of those rare experiences that will just blow your mind. This is an album that can easily sit alongside the magnitude of Tool's "Lateralus" and Neurosis' "Times of Grace". Outside of the Metal realm, it shares the deep spirituality of Miles Davis' 1970 Psychedelic Jazz odyssey "Bitches Brew", or the outstanding eclecticism of Radiohead's "OK Computer". If you want to see the ground break, if you want to be challenged and have your mind expand, this is the album for you. 9/10.
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