 | Tracklist:
1 Heavy Friends
2 Korosu
3 Dyna-Soar
4 wareruride
5 Soft Edge
6 Rattlesnake
7 Death Valley
8 koei
9 ?The Bell Tower of a Sign
10 1970
| Ranking: #164 for 2002 | |
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On 3 Lists
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| Summary: Brace your eardrums... |
Album covers are a strange art form. Ranging from simple, mind-imprinting images (like In the Court of the Crimson King) to overly cluttered visual debacles (such as Iron Maiden's Dance of Death), they are almost always designed to give the listener an impression of what the band is about and what the music will sound like. As simple as it may be, few covers do that better than Boris's Heavy Rocks. It's ingredients are just three things: The band name, the album title, and the brightest orange perceptible to the human eye. All you need to know is right there. Boris wants to play music as straightforward as they are capable of doing, and they will play it as loud as possible.
That isn't to say that Boris aren't complicated. Heavy Rocks is the fourth of 23 full-lengths that the band has put out since their 1996 debut, and they are widely regarded as one of the most eclectic bands in modern music. However, I am of the opinion (and I am not in the majority here) that Boris are at their best when they play simple, fuzzed-out garage/stoner rock at maximum volume with little regard for musical diversity. This is where Heavy Rocks delivers.
Songs like "Dyna-Soar" and "Waruride" are the essence of what I'm talking about here. Guitarist Wata's riffs are crunchy and distorted. Drummer Atsuo Mizuno pounds away like Dave Grohl and John Bonham in a fit of rage. Bassist Takeshi Ohtani plods along on the super-low end, while simultaneously yelling his lungs out in Japanese (as if it matters what language he sings in). The band lets up occasionally, like on "Soft Edge," which is a much needed breather as well as a cool little song in its own right. But these moments don't last for very long.
If Boris can be accurately compared to any band on this album, it would have to be sixties proto-metallers Blue Cheer. Aesthetically, Blue Cheer are like Boris in that they are a power trio with a bass-playing frontman. More importantly, both bands are among the most fuzz-drenched, acid-dripping, noisy-*** bands of their respective generations. What Blue Cheer were doing in the late 1960's may sound tame today, but this is the Vincebus Eruptum of the new millenium. While 2004's Pink gets far more visibility, it is impossible to enjoy one of the two Boris classics without liking the other. So give your ears a break after listening to Pink, then go acquire this album ASAP. Just don't stare at it for too long.
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Album Rating: 4
great album. nice review - short, but i think you captured the album in a nutshell pretty damn well.
Digging: Lil B - 6 Kiss |
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how odd, for some reason before even seeing this posted i decided to listen to this right now
but yeah obv sick album
Digging: Loma Prieta - Dark Mountain
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I don't know. It's not clear to me why this is a 4 star album, other than "Boris are at their best when they play simple, fuzzed-out garage/stoner rock at maximum volume with little regard for musical diversity".
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You should have expanded a bit since you're already a good writer, I wouldn't mind reading a few more paragraphs.
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those who like this sort of music should check out Nunchukka Superfly
Digging: Lagwagon - Let's Talk About Feelings
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Album Rating: 4
You should have expanded a bit since you're already a good writer, I wouldn't mind reading a few more paragraphs.
I know. I was sort of throwing this review together to kill some time before the Office, so I didn't really sit down and listen to the album like I normally do. Dyna-Soar came up on shuffle earlier and reminded me that there was no review.
I might add another paragraph later.
Digging: P.O.S. - Never Better |
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Album Rating: 1.5
Absolutly terrible live, just awful. Album wasn't to great either.
Digging: Anaal Nathrakh - In the Constellation of the Black Widow |
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Album Rating: 4.5
Well, if you don't like rock...then, I may understand why you wouldn't like this album. This album is a monster in my opinion. "Korosu" and "Rattlesnake" for the win.
Digging: Rotten Sound - Cycles |
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Album Rating: 1.5
Well I went to ne Nine Inch Nails and Boris opened and they were absolutely awful. Just noise basically.
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lol but Nine Inch Nails are awful and Boris fucking rule
Digging: Major Lazer - Guns Dont Kill People... Lazers Do
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Album Rating: 1.5
"lol but Nine Inch Nails are awful and Boris fucking rule"
...and there goes faith in man kind.
By the way I have listened to the album, I don't rate albums withouutlistening to them. I just though it was awful.
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"Just noise basically."
wat
Digging: Apator - Masturbate in Praise of Black Satan
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Album Rating: 4
Just noise basically.
lolol
boris definitely rule and NIN definitely suck tbh
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Album Rating: 4.5
must not like rock n roll.
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Album Rating: 4.5
or should I say lock n lorr.
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Album Rating: 1.5
Just noise basically is not my way of saying they suck. It was literally so bad you could not tell the guitar, vocals, bass, and drums apart. They were melted together to make.... well I can't even describe it. I mean I don't mean any offense, but there was a reason they weren't headlining the show. They were almost boo'd off the stage.
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Album Rating: 4
boris is too edgy for NIN crowds
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Album Rating: 1.5
Pffft... as edgy as a sphere.
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Boris are better than any of the boring as shit bands you listen to so **** off you large bundle of sticks!
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Album Rating: 1.5
I'm sorry but Boris is just terrible. I don't hate them.... more along the lines of feeling sorry for them.
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