Blinding Light

Gauging this record against the other bands Deathwish is gradually pumping out, it definitely rises above the rest. Most fans of this label would probably at least empathise with their efforts even if they didn’t become a rabid fan. From the beginning the Blinding Light bring a sonic onslaught of pain. It’s crisp, bass-fuelled, rock-oriented heavy metal, with wicked thick drum tones. Groovy like Pantera, steadily thrashing as madly as anyone in California while frequently invoking the heavy doom-laden stylings of bands like Mastadon. It’s not a clear-cut path from start to finish. The vocals can become screeching and annoying, and the "shake it to the left, shake it to the right” intro to the second song isn’t exactly poignant. The best part is that the line becomes a central theme in the song, which is essentially indicative of the entire album’s nature. It’s predominately machine gun riffing/shots to floor punch your neighbour to. It does lose its urgency occasionally and lags into slower, doom-y, clean picked parts: breathing room.