A softer but enjoyable slab of hard rock/metal from Slough Feg
The guitar parts on Slough Feg's Hardworlder were recorded on vintage tube amps. This is worth mentioning because "vintage" is something that definitely comes to mind while listening to their music. Much like their predecessors and idols Manilla Road, Slough Feg's music is primarily inspired by 70s rock and NWOBHM but hints of thrash, doom, power, folk and progressive metal abound in their music, with neither band ever resorting to the tired, overdone cliches that those genres evoke.
The first in a trilogy based on the fictional characters of H5N1, Hardworlder sees Slough Feg continuing with the de-thrashifying, or calming down, trend that started on their last album Atavism. While Atavism started out with the pummeling track "Robustus", Hardworlder starts with "The Return of Doctor Universe", which is just as fast but much more up-beat and less heavy. The guitars of Mike and Angelo on Hardworlder are warm, soft, and juicy rather than hard and crunchy as Slough Feg once again prove their ability to write some of the most enchanting riffs, leads and harmonies in metal. Add to this how smooth and tight Adrian and Antoine are as a rhythm section; it's nice to hear actual basslines in metal rather than the bassist just adding an extra thump to the rhythm guitar.
Hardworlder does have one flaw though: it's length. Clocking in at just under 43 minutes, including two covers (Horslips' "Dearg Doom" and Manilla Road's "Street Jammer"); leaving about 35 minutes of original material; it just seems to wrap itself up too quickly. But, short as it is, Hardwolder proves that Slough Feg can still deliver the music that makes them one of the best current bands in metal.
| Reviewer: Jeff Mcquiggan Added: July 31st 2007 |
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