Release Date: October 04th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD
I Hate It Here Too - Track Listing:
1.Monocular Comet 04:48
2.Binocular Comet 07:38
3.Trouts 04:52
4.Throat Rust 04:32
5.Horse Meat 05:43
Members
Derek Donley - Everything
Review
I Hate It Here Too is the new EP from Ambient/Doom/Sludge Metal collective You Big Ox who I originally featured back in 2016 when I reviewed their album The Oxwhal. The project is the work of Derek Donley who plays everything and he’s released a great collection of various records under the banner of You Big Ox. Derek mostly covers the landscape of Ambient Doom, Sludge Metal, Post-Metal and Psych Metal under the guise of You Big Ox.
I Hate It Here Too has a more abrasive, harsh and heavier sound compared to the other You Big Ox releases. The sound has an ethereal Drone quality which fuses a direct Post-Rock and Post-Metal style of music with the vocals drifting from clean sounds and distinctive growls that are aided by Ambient textures for a multi-layered record that lives up the DOOMGAZE creative energy of the whole record.
With leanings of Blackened Post-Metal appearing throughout the EP, You Big Ox has created an emotionally driven and haunting score that comes ALIVE on tracks such as Monocular Comet, Binocular Comet and Throat Rust being the standout tracks of the EP. Influences from acts such as Wolves In The Throne Room, Cult Of Luna, The Ocean, Russian Circles and Neurosis can be heard but You Big Ox stand on their own creative merits which also allows this to be quite a haunting and spellbinding record within its own right.
You Big Ox is one of the more interesting “One Man Bands” currently out there who always creates quite daring and challenging releases that offer no easy answers and I Hate It Here Too is another superb release which I can’t recommend highly enough.
Words by Steve Howe
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