By:
Ernesto Aguilar
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 20/10/2017
Label: Independent
The
group merges many influences into a package that still sounds true to the
subgenre. Stonebirds is adept at exploring concepts in
their music that make it even more intriguing. To put it simply, the trio is
one of the Europe's more intriguing stoner/doom performers today. "Time," far exceeds expectations and situates Stonebirds as a band to keep an eye on.
“Time” CD//DD track listing
1.
I
2.
Sacrifice
3.
Blackened Sky
4.
Only time
5.
Shutter part I
6.
Shutter part II
7.
Animals
8.
II
The Review:
Rostrenen,
France's Stonebirds received much acclaim for its
2015 release "Into the Fog… And the
Flithy Air." The stoner/doom crew was noted in particular for its
originality. If you scan that record again, you will hear why it was so
appreciated. The group merges many influences into a package that still sounds
true to the subgenre. Stonebirds is adept at
exploring concepts in their music that make it even more intriguing. To put it
simply, the trio is one of the Europe's more intriguing stoner/doom performers
today.
It
was easy then to catch elements of inspirations like the Melvins
or a style like Cult of Luna before. Its previous works
seemed more sprawling, in part due to a five-piece lineup. The group returns
smaller and with an edgier vibe. On the band's 2017 return, "Time," Stonebirds
feels intent on forging its own road, to some of its best results yet.
"Time"
opens with "I" – and yes,
it is bookended with closer "II"
– which harkens to the impeccably ethereal rhythm you know of Stonebirds. When it rolls into "Sacrifice," however, the comparisons halt. The
ten-minute track is still atmospheric and multi-layered, but in the end the
overtures are devastating. Rough guitars, rattling bass and jarring vocals make
this a nice profile of a band that has renewed focus. Later, the cut, "Animals," offers a similar
kind of heft. The rumbling end of "Sacrifice"
segues well into "Blackened
Sky," which takes its fallow beginnings into sinister territory as the
music arcs, then shambles into the darkness.
Contemporary
social commentary is a perennial part of extreme music, and "Time" does not disappoint.
The centerpiece of "Time"
is undoubtedly "Shutter Part I &
II," a narrative on climate change. Given the catastrophism that
accompanies what was formerly called global warming – skyrocketing hunger, mass
extinction and an upsurge in natural disasters are among the issues scientists
cite the world will see more of – it remains a marvel as to why more acts have
not examined climate issues further. In this instance, Stonebirds
does it in a non-preachy, understated way. What is ostensibly “…Part I” mostly set the mood. It is “…Part II” with the lyrical attack.
Again, it is no 350.org manifesto. Rather, the sound comes across as the crest
of a storm, with lyrics that inject fear ("time has come/for you to
die" comes at you again and again) into this story. By song's crashing
end, you are struck by how good it is, maybe the best track of "Time."
If
there are any quibbles with the latest Stonebirds release, it
may be that the mood changes can be a little abrupt. Songs bounce from sludge
to much heavier and perhaps the composition could be a little different.
However, overall, "Time,"
with a smaller group and focused sound, far exceeds expectations and situates Stonebirds as a band to keep an eye on.
"Time" is
available to preorder/buy here and you can check out an exclusive stream of
the track “Shutter Part II” below
