6 Oct 2011

Brainerd - Brainerd / The Goat [Full length] (2008, Zodiac Killer Records)


America is, given it's size, a country that houses a throng of obscure but great bands of all genres. Brainerd is one such band, and armed with a dirty garage-sound, smashing, memorable riffs and gruff vocals they're poised to take on any heavy groove-oriented metal band out there.

Their style could probably best be described as a ghastly hybrid between Entombed, Metallica and just a little pinch of hard rock and punk. One thing is certain: They play some filthy music, and they do it magnificently. The structures aren't what you've come to expect from modern metal bands - Instead they're different and the material features a fresh take on riffing in mid-to-slow-paced metal. Straightforwardness is a key word with Brainerd's debut and to say it's boring because it doesn't feature neckbreaking drums and fast gutiar play would be plain wrong. There are so many facets and aspects of this 9-track album that to describe them all here would be folly. A little piece of psychedelia here, some doom metal there, some esoterical babble over yonder, it's all there.

Simplicity is, quite paradoxically, a complicated thing. Make it too simple and it's boring and has too little variation. Make it too intricate and it becomes a complicated mess of utter chaos. Bands like Motörhead and to some extent AC/DC have mastered the fine art of balancing music so it becomes simple yet fantastic. Brainerd has achieved something akin to that of the previously mentioned bands - Making music just simple enough to be easily memorable but still fitting it with lots of surprises.

Generally speaking the self-titled album has everything a release in that genre needs. Thick with catchy vocals and guitars, simple songwriting and a perfect length for you to be entertained and never get bored, Brainerd can get nothing other than 9/10 guitars.





Tracklist:
1. Dracula Marine
2. Demon in the Night
3. Blood Money
4. Powerlines
5. Devil Star
6. All Night Party
7. Love Convulsion
8. Mud
9. Hurt in a Skirt

Visit Brainerd on Myspace

1 comment:

  1. sounds very cool to me! i'll check them out.

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