Taint

Secret And Lies
Candlelight Records

This UK outfit are somewhat of a hybrid act. One half summons the ghosts of that fuzzy/tuned down/heavy guitar sound that Black Sabbath pioneered in the seventies, while the vocals have a much more aggressive, growling edge, via some of the more modern metal bands of today. It's not screamo (thank god) so you can pretty much figure out what is being said lyrically. However, the two complement each other quite well and the overall end result is a massive sounding album full of pummeling riffs, odd time signatures, and doomy sludge/stoner rock grooves. There is even a progressive edge lurking about on these tunes. Just when you were feeling the vibe, the band switches gears to another (but equally cool) groove just to keep things interesting. Plus you get plenty of bang for your buck on these tracks as they like to keep their songs on the lengthy side. Taint are no frills guitar, bass and drums that aren't over produced and polished to perfection. It's just three guys that equal great riffs, great songs, and a great band.

- Craig Harvey