Saturday 24 September 2016

Blood Diamond - Saviours (Album Review)


Release date: 3rd September 2016 . Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Saviours – Tracklisting

1.Insanity Grows 05:50
2.The Heckler 03:03
3.Your Pointless Gods 03:00
4.Sand and Stones 05:23
5.Burning Torch 04:19
6.Watch Me Flying 05:02
7.Never Confessed 04:54
8.Refused 04:11

Band Members:

Tim: Guitar
Sven: Guitar/Vox
Bert: Bass
Mike: Drums

Review:

Blood Diamond’s second album – Saviours – owes a huge debt of gratitude to the earlier heavier sounds of Baroness and Mastodon. As the album visits the similar kind of sounds those two bands made their names with. It’s kind of refreshing and exciting to hear after all these years. Sure there have been countless other bands that have released similar sounding albums over the years but Blood Diamond are perhaps the first band to try and do something new with that sound.

Saviours feels like the natural successor to Mastodon’s landmark album – Leviathan and that’s no bad thing. You know what to expect. Fast paced and heavy precise progressive sludge metal riffs with the band showing a flair for psychedelic stoner metal grooves from time to time.

Opening track Insanity Grows opens the album with a track that holds your attention throughout with razor sharp guitars and the familiar style of clean/grizzled growls from lead vocalist Sven. It starts with a superb haunting ambient noise before the guitars come crashing in. Insanity Grows is one of the albums standout tracks on the album and it’s a wise decision to open the album with this track. As it shows you what’s in store for you over the next eight tracks.

Second track – The Heckler – is pure Mastodon riff-loving worship but Blood Diamond still create their own moments of psychedelic sludge madness with perfectly played riffs that move from slower paced moments to the more manic faster and heavier noises.

Third track – Your Pointless Gods – has a more classic progressive feel compared to the other tracks on the album. The drumming is a major highlight of this track with spiky lyrics making this another great tune to check out. The riffs and vocals both battle for their attention in the spotlight. The production sounds super-fresh as Blood Diamond start to create their own identity.

Fourth Track – Seed and Stones – captures early-era Baroness with a more stoner based vibe and it’s a song built upon a simple premise but delivered with the band’s own verve and style. The psychedelic guitar solos add an extra touch of class that will have you head-banging in total agreement.

So four songs into the album and you will now have a total feel on how the album will play out for the remaining four songs. As the mood and overall atmosphere of the album remains the same. Blood Diamond perhaps create the most exciting moments on the second half of the album. The album becomes heavier with Blood Diamond opting for a more faster and progressive style of music especially on tracks: Burning Torch, Never Confessed and Refused.

If you miss the days before Baroness/Mastodon went a little bit too commercial then Blood Diamond perfectly bridges the gap between the earlier years of the Progressive Sludge Metal sounds and today’s modern Stoner Metal grooves. Saviours is a fantastic sounding album and is one that will entertain the hell out of you over and over again.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp