Thursday 19 October 2017

YANOMAMO - Neither Man Nor Beast (Album Review)


Release date: October 20th 2017. Label: Iommium Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Neither Man Nor Beast – Tracklisting

1.Blood Red, Black God
2.Gilded in Gold
3.10,000 Hooves
4.The Number 9
5.Death Whistle Blues
6.A Bad Time for the Empire
7.Parasite
8.Neither Man Nor Beast

Members

Jason Higson: Guitars
Clarence Wandren Albatross: Bass
Jack Thomas: Drums
Scott Tabone: Vocals

Review

Australian Stoner Metal scene has provided us with some great albums to listen to recently. Now it's time for Yanomamo to fly the flag for Aussie Doom/Sludge Metal with this nasty slice of epic riffs and their excellent debut album - Neither Man Nor Beast. Influenced by bands such as Conan and Church Of Misery, this album sees the band create a heavy nightmarish sound with blues/stoner grooves appearing from time to time.

Opening track - Blood Red, Black God - perfectly captures the whole tone and atmosphere of the album. With Church Of Misery style guitars but with a different vocal and lyrical perspective. The music is played at a slow to mid pace and that allows the band to draw the listener in with bleak and doom based atmospherics. The vocals from Scott do take some time to get fully used to. Though this is only a few minutes of the album.

Yanomamo earn their Doom/Sludge Metal stripes with the hard-hitting lyrics that touch on some dark subject matters on certain songs of the album. From the opening song, Yanomamo turn on the violent charm with great songs such as Gilded In Gold, 10,000 Hooves, The Number 9, A Bad Year For The Empire and Neither Man Nor Beast All containing many doom/sludge metal moments that will keep fans of the genre entertained until the very end.

The album does become quite progressive in places as the band allows the Stoner Rock/Metal vibes take over for a brief rest from the devilish riffs the band are primarily known for. Maybe the band could have changed the direction of their sound in a few instances on the album. Though it’s still a brilliantly heavy and entertaining album.

Yanomamo do have a wicked sense of humour on some of the songs especially with the lyrics and they deserve credit for how they structure their music around certain songs. It allows the album to become a more enjoyable listening experience. Overall, Yanomamo have released a brutally epic slice of Doom/Sludge Metal with their debut album and it should hopefully find them an appreciative audience to terrify them with.

Words by Steve Howe

Neither Man Nor Beast will be available to buy on CD/DD/'Vinyl from October 20th.

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