REVIEW: Viajando - Counting Days (2015)

Band: Viajando

Album: Counting Days
Genre: Stoner Metal/Rock

Date of Release: January 9, 2015

Tracklist:

1) Counting Days

2) Nothing is Sacred

3) Hell's Pit

4) Rogue

5) Dead Mask

6) Sleeper

Bandcamp

     North Carolinan natives Viajando (formerly known as Stone City) put out a collection of energetic songs worthy of headbanging with their second release 'Counting Days'.  This EP has everything a Metal and Hard Rock fan could ask for: Heaviness, aggressiveness, and it's just overall a kick-ass record.  The band considers themselves Stoner Metal, and with good reason because Counting City is definitely reminiscent of the Stoner Rock genre and the Palm Desert scene (Kyuss, anyone?).

     Taking that into account, there are other influences throughout the EP, even if they are not as noticeable.  Some of the passages (I'm thinking of the verses in the song 'Nothing is Sacred') are reminiscent of the woefulness found in the Grunge genre, Alice in Chains coming first to mind.  Additionally, there are definite Hardcore influences throughout the song 'Rogue'.  Asides from that, the EP encompasses all of the characteristics for the perfect archetype of Stoner Rock/Metal; the heavy pounding drums, the soaring yet aggressive vocals, the fuzzy bass recognizable within the genre, and the tasty riffs (please, go ahead and listen to the greatness of this EP's opener, 'Counting Days'!).  After hearing the opener, however, the rest of the EP kind of stays leveled after that huge slap in the face 'Counting Days' gave, which is not bad, but there is certainly a lack of that 'punch' that makes one be at the edge of their seat.

     Regardless, I would summarize 'Counting Days' as a very well-balanced EP, both music wise and production wise.  While there is nothing groundbreaking, if the band's goal was to release a good heavy Stoner album, then they did an astounding job at it.  So grab a blunt and journey through the distorted stone city that is Viajando.  There will be no regrets.

Stand-out tracks:
-Counting Days
-Rogue

Score: 7/10

REVIEW: Psychological Regurgitation - The Regurgitation (2015)

Band: Psychological Regurgitation

Album: The Regurgitation
Genre: Grindcore/Deathgrind

Date of Release: January 1, 2015

Tracklist:

1)  Below

2) You Will Perish Alone

3) Chum Bucket

4) Ingestion

5) Jesus is Coming, Look Busy

6) Demise

7) The Demise of Vital Organs

8) For Violence

9) Jubilance
10) Blast Furnace

11) Tomb of Bowels

12) Asphyxiation

13) I Wear Their Intestines

14) Psychological Regurgitation

15) The Description of Slavery

16) War and Satan

Bandcamp

"Regurgitate - To bring food that has been swallowed back to and out of the mouth."

     I thought that it was best to start this review with the definition of 'regurgitation' for one sole purpose; to emphasize how correct these gentlemen were to include said word on their band name and album. After various listening, my mind was psychologically regurgitated (aha!) with pure sonorous filth, with raw and malign dissonance that inevitably led my mental state towards a fierce cognitive decay, and, in this context, it is certainly a good thing.

     Residing in the city of Syracuse, New York, Vincent Wisehoon (instruments) and Patrick Tuohey (vocals) generated a Deathgrind album that is undeniably packed with brutality and hatred.  What I found fairly pleasant, though, was the variety found within its contents.  For instance, each song is refreshingly distinctive with their own personality and character (as much as one can with the topics of gore and relentlessness, of course), thus there being no monotony throughout the album. Lyrically, I'll admit that it was a breath of fresh air (or of putrid stench of rotten corpses?), as there is a tendency in this particular sub-genre to solely write about gore, where the choice of words are rather simple.  In the case of Psychological Regurgitation, however, and although the theme of gore is overall present, the lyrics are certainly more thoughtful, which makes one's listening experience even more real and menacing ('Demise' and the album finisher 'A Description of Slavery', particularly). Wisehoon's riffs are undeniably heavy, yet well-thought, helping the songs achieve their own recognition and spotlight.  The bass and drums are of typical Deathgrind: While the former usually accompanies the guitar to give that extra push towards an even more intense sound, the latter definitely hit hard and fast with plenty of blast beats.  Tuohey's vocals, while versatile with guttural mid-lows and crude shrieks, there is not much presence, sounding a bit muffled compared to the intensity of the music.  Regardless, the rawness and hatred is left untouched, and the vocals pair nicely with the lyrics.

     'The Regurgitation' is indeed a must have for Deathgrind purists. However, I do recommend it for those who have a varied taste when it comes to Metal, or even for those interested in learning more about the sub-genre, as the album accomplishes in showcasing the basic criteria for an exemplary Deathgrind album. With that said, prepare to be psychologically drained with this powerhouse of an album.  Will be looking forward to whatever these guys come up with in the future.

Stand-out tracks:
-Ingestion

-Jesus is Coming, Look Busy

-Demise

-For Violence

-Rot

Score: 8/10