Brain Donor - Drain'd Boner

[Billy]

Anyone heard the newest Brain Donor Cd/lp?

[Tripecac]

Haven't heard it yet, but here's link for those of us considering buying:

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/merchandiser/ -- £13 = $26?
http://www.actionrecords.co.uk/ -- £10 = $20?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IMVE78/ -- $16.49

Too bad it's only 40 minutes!

[Tripecac]

Ordered it from Amazon and am listening to it for the first time now...

Here are my initial thoughts:

1) Pa Doden's Trae

Stormy, sludgy, mucky, slow, moody... Lots of lightning. I picture a big tree in a dark storm. Vocals are indistinct and atonal. The music plods along. Soooooo slowww.... Almost as slow as "Breath of Odin".

2) Nagasaki Mushroom

The intro is very ssssssssslllllooowwwwww.... Sounds like Cope is slowing down in his old age. Either that, or the band was totally stoned when they recorded this stuff. After about a minute it finally picks up, and reminds me of a Jehovahkill-era jam. Not bad; I actually like the head-banging-ness from about 1:20 until 2:50. But then it stops and turns into a slower jam. Eventually we hear some wailing; I suppose that's Cope? Back to the muck and sludge and yuckiness. Sigh.

3) Where Do We Take U?

Nice punky beat and hoarse, distant chanting. This is my favorite so far, because it's fast. The guitar solos have terrific energy. I wish all Brain Donor did more songs like this and got rid of the slow ones. It feels a bit repetitive, though, despite being less than 5 minutes long.

4) Metsamor

Slow jam with weird acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and sound effects. There are some nice moments, where the band had energy and the music picks up, but they don't hold onto the fast grooves for very long. It's as if they get tired when they play fast. Or bored. Or forgetful. Why can't they stick to a nice up-tempo groove for more than a minute or so? When the sound effects kick in at the end, it's almost a relief that the song is over.

5) Just About Now

Last song. My thoughts: "okay this better be good". Then the music starts. Sigh. Atonal shrieking, pounding, everything heavy and slow and messy. I like the weird vocals and choppy production at around the 2 minute mark ("just about now"). But the music gets slower and slower and slower, so it's not so cool anymore. Cope's doing his weird "emitting" vocals but it's so muffled that I can't understand him. Hmm...

---------

As a whole, well, this album sounds like they just went into the studio and jammed, with little (if any) song writing or planning. If they were masters at improvisation (or had more stamina), they could have played faster, but they seem to play it safe by keeping everything very slow and simple, with a few quick bursts of speed.

It almost sounds like three teenagers making noise in their garage, trying to play as loud and heavy as possible. If that's their intent... well... I don't care if it's their intent or not, because my ears don't appreciate this sort of ultra-abrasive, testosterone-laden music. The extreme heavy-handedness of it is actually annoying.

However, this was just my first listen. Maybe I'll feel differently after a few more plays (assuming I can force myself to keep it in the CD changer for a couple more go-rounds)...

So, what do y'all think of it?

[Tripecac]

[Common Era]

[Tripecac]

Listening to it for the second time...

I really liked "Where Do We Take U". The other songs I didn't really notice.

Perhaps the horrible crackle in the Jehovahkill Deluxe reissue made it easier for me to appreciate the comparatively clean sound quality of Drain'd Boner.

Still, I think except for "Where Do We Take U", the music is still slow and sludgy.