Bloodhorse Horizoner

It's been two years since the release of their debut EP and Bloodhorse still might be the best kept secret in the world of stoner rock. At face value, their formula sounds simple enough. Taking strong cues from the era of classic rock and giving them a modern metallic twist has certainly been done before -- one wouldn't even have to leave Massachusetts to find the band's closest musical peer, Adam McGrath's Clouds -- but Bloodhorse's execution as a beast of a three piece is downright awe-inspiring. And Horizoner presents an awfully strong case that their EP and all its fantastic riffs, clean songwriting, and perfectly balanced instrumentation were far from a fluke. With 50 minutes to work with, Bloodhorse has plenty of room to showcase their wide range of songwriting. "The Old Man" ebbs and flows between a slightly subdued verse and an explosive chorus anchored by a massive riff and anthemic vocals. And just when the track appears to fit into a simple verse-chorus structure, they dive into a three minute long dirge driven by superb bass lines and consistently inventive drumming. "Paranoiac" hits the other end of the spectrum, as it fuses hardcore tempos and intensity with a monstrous neck-breaker of a riff that sounds like old school Metallica played in half-time. "Nonhossono" is 100% pure build, with every note working toward a climax of stoner riff heaven. And then there's the closer, "In Horror," which relies heavily on perfectly complementary, intertwined bass and guitar lines to calmly ease the track in and out of dynamic swells. Horizoner is a clinic on how to execute instrumentally driven, well-balanced rock that is as technically competent as it is satisfying. The guitar work is incredibly versatile, the bass lines are capable of standing alone (killer tone certainly helps), and the drumming rarely settles into a predictable course. This is absolutely essential for fans of three piece music. Bottom Line: With strong influences from classic rock (The Who, Deep Purple), metal (Entombed, Metallica), and slight touch of hardcore/punk (Black Flag), Bloodhorse has crafted one hell of a modern stoner rock record in Horizoner. This will certainly end up on my 2009 top ten list come December.