About a year ago I heard their first record, and I will have to admit that I was not too impressed, it was heavy, it defiantly turned out churning guitar riffs and so forth, but something was missing. Well I found out what was missing when I heard their latest record, the songwriting. They have evolved creating much more hook oriented songs rather than just playing the powerful riffs for the sake of playing, hence here is more proof that the evolution of a band can reap very positive outcomes.
So enough about their evolution,
The Quill pretty much play early-Black Sabbath/Blue Cheer style stoner rock, with the full-blown vibe of Heavy Metal, and they do it the right way. Very much a heavier aesthetic than many of the better-known bands of this style such as Fu Manchu, early-Soundgarden, or Kyuss, but than again
The Quill puts absolutely no commercial connotations to their overall brand of Metal.
For openers, their sound is complete with thick riff driven guitars, a pounding rhythmic bass structure around live ambient sounding drums played heavily to enhance the overall structure of the noise laden atmosphere. "Hooray." opens up with
"Spinning Around," a hook-laden chorus, intertwined with vocal harmonies that are done in the Metal style of harmonizing, setting the tone for the record. Most cuts are mid-tempo and stay at that consistent rate throughout the record, leaving the guitar riffs to fulfill the heaviness. Emotional cuts like the churning
"Come What May," "Handful of Flies," and the dark
"Hammerhead" prove that vocalist Magnus Ekwall has serious power behind his vocal chops. The quickest cuts on "Hooray." are
"Because I'm God" and
"Nothing Ever Changes." Only two cuts barely come close to being a ballads,
"Man Posed" is the record's darkest cut, complete with stark guitar interludes behind the distant tinty vocal treatment; while
"Control" which closes the record is a moody semi-acoustic cut that plays above the minimal percussion used, adding counterpoint to the record overall heavy drumming.
For the most part this record makes good for those who are looking for a band who can replicate the sound of many of the "dark riff" sound that has been emphasized with many bands before.
The Quill keeps their emphasis on their dark and heavy sound, balancing that with their songwriting skills. Overall, you might also be able to call this one of the most stripped down melodic Metal records, no keyboards, no falsettos, and no bullshit.
Written by
Hashman Monday, September 29, 2003
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