Sunday 18 December 2016

Heavy Traffic - Plastic Surgery (Album Review)


Release date: 17th December 2016. Label: Twin Earth Records. Format: Cassette Tape/DD

Plastic Surgery – Tracklisting

1.Rule of Nines 07:18
2.See Right Through 03:05
3.Acid Sweater 07:10
4.Broth Drain 01:34
5.Three Stigmata 06:40
6.Medicated Bed 05:39
7.Plastic Surgery 07:45
8.White and Green(Bonus track) 07:31

Band Members

Ian Caddick – Guitars
Tav Palumbo – Guitars/Vocals
David Grzedzinski – Bass
Dan Bradica – Drums

Review

Can we call Plastic Surgery, a debut album from Heavy Traffic. As technically they have released an extensive batch of releases over on their BandCamp Page. Some of them are full length records. Though this album is the first proper album with this line-up.

Anyway, Heavy Traffic are a Psychedelic Doom Metal band and one that will appeal to fans of bands as Dead Meadow, Uncle Acid and Holy Temple. Heavy Traffic is one loud example of Psychedelic Doom Metal with touches of cosmic rock and fuzz rock spliced throughout the album.

Opening track – Rule Of Nines is a heavy, loud and highly confident track that will make you fall in love with Heavy Traffic from the start. Uncle Acid style manic energy is matched with a highly passionate spaced out doomy kind of sound. The vocals have an Occult Rock vibe to them with the lyrics adding a darker edge to the overall feel of the album.

Second track – See Right Through – is more of a 60s/70s Retro Occult/Doom Metal sound as it allows Heavy Traffic to add swirls of psychedelic spaced out noises. It feels very distorted at times but it's another winning song from this highly talented quartet.

Third track – Acid Sweater – is perhaps my favourite song on the album. As Heavy Traffic create a more mean-spirited noise rock driven sound. It's where the band start to show their true identity in the world of Doom Metal. The guitars screech with purpose as the song builds upto a violent climax with the band playing the albums heaviest riffs.

The remainder of the album carries on the distorted doomy and spaced out riffs especially with the final three tracks: Medicated Bed, Plastic Surgery and White And Green creating one hell of an exciting finish.

Heavy Traffic were an unknown entity to myself and I have to thank Ric over at Twin Earth Records for sending me the promo to review. As I would have missed them. The production on the record is excellent throughout with Heavy Traffic proving they're a band worth giving a damn about.

Plastic Surgery is perhaps the album that Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats should have released for their last album. That's the highest compliment I can give to Heavy Traffic. This is a must-have album. So do yourself a favour and check this album out. A stunning record.

Words by Steve Howe

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