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Ogre: The last neanderthal
20/03/14 || gk
Ogre caused massive heartbreak in the stoner/doom metal scene back in 2009 by announcing that they were breaking up. This break up came after 3 incredibly consistent and high quality albums and 2008’s Plague of the planet, a single 37 minute song was the pinnacle of their recording career till that time. Luckily, for fans everywhere, the band realized the folly of calling it quits and came back this year with a new full length.
So, how does “The last neanderthal” fare in the face of expectations and with the groups own much loved previous releases? The answer luckily, is that Ogre has managed to release yet another kickass album. Proper album opener Nine princes in amber is an up tempo stoner rock song with some traditional metal influences and kicks off proceedings in style. Next up is the lengthy Bad trip which has a superb bass riff in the middle which slows things down and then quite literally explodes into a lead guitar section that is all up tempo and energetic before that slowed down doom riff takes over again. “Son of Sisyphus” has a classic rock gone doom feel to it and works its way through a great main riff and a kickass vocal performance before the guitar lead successfully takes the song into another dimension of awesomeness. “Soulless woman” is a cover of a song originally done by another band named Ogre and is fun rock n roll with some fearsome jams thrown in for good measure. The hermit is a lengthy and much more doom oriented conclusion to the album and is another great song. A heavy main riff, mournful but melodic guitar lines and a rock steady rhythm section all contribute to making this another memorable song but it’s vocals and that lead guitar section that starts around the 7 minute mark that really push things.
“The last neanderthal” is one hell of a comeback from this trio. While perhaps not as ambitious as “Plague of the planet” it still has 6 really good songs. Ross Markonish’s guitar playing is the star of the show but the rhythm section of Ed Cunningham and Will Broadbent is spot on and get more than enough space to come through on the album’s many jams. The one stumbling block here could be Cunningham’s vocals. They seem to have acquired an even more nasal, Ozzy-lite quality than on the last album and it could turn off some people.
After heaping all of that praise on this album I guess it’s only fair to say that Ogre don’t really do anything new. Their sound is derivative to a large extent and influences come mainly from Sabbath, Maryland doom, Pentagram, bands like Cirith Ungol and 70s hard rock. Still, these are just great songs and I wish more bands could sound this good while mining their influences.
If you’re an Ogre fan, then chances are you’ve either heard this already or are eagerly waiting for it. If you’ve never heard Ogre before but like the whole stoner/proto-metal/doom sound then do yourself a favor and pick up “The last Neanderthal”. You will not be disappointed.
- Information
- Released: 2014
- Label: Minotauro Records
- Website: Ogre BandCamp
- Band
- Ed Cunningham: vocals, bass
- Ross Markonish: guitars
- Will broadbent: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Shadow Earth
- 02. Nine Princes in Amber
- 03. Bad Trip
- 04. Son of Sisyphus
- 05. Soulless Woman
- 06. Warpath
- 07. White Plume Mountain
- 08. The Hermit
