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Shrinebuilder: Shrinebuilder
24/11/09 || Khlysty
Back in the mid-80s, when I was a young punk, I nurtured an almost innate repulsion towards “supergroups”: the ‘60s and ‘70s had given us quite a few of those and their output was disastrous in direct proportion of the names involved in the “supergroup” (I mean, is there anyone out there who claims to even like Blind Faith?). Those bands were supposed to be exactly what was wrong with the music industry and what punk came to destroy. Now, of course, this attitude of mine has started to change; nowadays, I try to judge such bands based solely on the music they make and not on the idea of the “supergroup”. Now, I’m older, wiser, a true sex-god and I can give credit where credit’s due.
Anyway, when I heard about Shrinebuilder, I almost wet my pants: I mean, fuck, this is not just a “supergroup”, but a joining of forces made in Hell. Shrinebuilder is the lovechild of one Scott Kelly (y’know, of Neurosis and stuff), a guy called Scott “Wino” Weinrich (of Obsessed/St. Vitus/The Hidden Hand doom infamy), a hippie called Al Cisneros (he of Sleep/OM THC-worship) and some Dale Crover (who, along with the other members of Melvins, has produced like a zillion records of totally fucked-up sludge). I mean, what’s not like here, right? Moreover, these guys are not has-beens, who try to cash past glories; they’re still active, productive and their music still matters. So, can such talent combined give us a bona fide masterpiece?
Well, no. Their eponymous debut is not the piece de resistance that would redefine metal and give new meaning to the words “heavosity”, “density” and “unfuckingtouchableness”. And, you know what? That’s OK. ‘Cause this record is one of the best things that came out this year, one of these records that you spin and you really lose yerself in its groovy, almost laid-back, psychedelic doominess. Recorded in just three days, “Shrinebuilder” is a testimony of immediateness and talent and, more than anything, of good fun between great musicians, who seem to enjoy themselves so much that, even if flawed, the final product is so cool that you cannot but smile and headbang to its ambiance and groove.
Basically, the five longish tracks comprising “Shrinebuilder” seem like a marriage between Wino’s straight-up heavy metal and Neurosis’ more laid-back experimentations (e.g. “Times Of Grace” era). Of course, the band throws as quite a few stylistic curve-balls, by adding to the basic m.o. elements of OM’s chant-like, stripped-to-the-bone Sabbath riffing, dual vocals by Wino and Kelly (with Cisneros’ drony articulation added here and there for good measure), guitar heroics by Wino, Crover’s busy, expressive and hard-hitting drumming and more.
What I like the most is the fact that, while each member keeps his identity clear and easily-spotted during the forty minutes of the record, everyone tries to turn the disparate elements that each member brings into the fold into a whole that matters. So, while “Solar Benediction” reeks of Obsessed’s hard-hitting RAWK, the break at the five-minute-mark is textbook Neurosis dynamics, but it’s not an out of context addition, but a thing that comes so naturally that one has to wonder why it hasn’t been done in the past. Another example comes with “Blind for all to see”, where Kelly’s gruff vocals slip like a glove inside the song’s Sleep-derived psychedelic riffing (with Cisneros and Wino doing backing vocal harmonies –ferfucksake!!!).
You know, I could go on and on praising the merits of “Shrinebuilder”; would be easy, too. But I won’t do it. As I said before, this ain’t no masterpiece. It’s more like four friends entered a studio, laid out their ideas and jammed together to have a good time and record something that, first and foremost, would please them. So, there are excesses and hyperboles and shit like that. But, as a whole, this is a great classic doom metal record, swaggerific and meditative at the same time. Also, this is a good-time record, made by people who don’t have to prove anything, beyond the fact that talent, immediacy and friendship can do wonders.
Go buy and enjoy yerselves. NOW!!!
- Information
- Released: 2009
- Label: Neurot Recordings
- Website: Shrinebuilder MySpace
- Band
- Scott “Wino” Weinrich: vocals, guitar
- Scott Kelly: vocals, guitar
- Al Cisneros: vocals, bass
- Dale Crover: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Solar benediction
- 02. Pyramid of the moon
- 03. Blind for all to see
- 04. The architect
- 05. Science of anger
