Buzzov*en

There are few albums in musical history that garner massive attention for taking forever to reach the general populace. Obviously none will ever match the anticipation of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy, yet in the world of sludge metal, legendary outfit Buzzov*en came close to such heightened expectancy with the elongated wait for Revelation: Sick Again. Shelved for over a decade, with the band's re-emergence over the last few years, the album is finally seeing an official release, leaving many to wonder if this enigmatic eight-songer was actually worth the nail biting. Thankfully, as an opening sample kicks into the barbaric, ravenous riff of "Never Again (S.F.)," we realize that Revelation: Sick Again was worth the agonizing wait. Replete with the band's inherently dark, plodding grooves, acidic vocal attack and lumbering pace countering venomous double-time blasts reminiscent of early grindcore, it's a greasy, grimy masterpiece. Rolling through noisy halftime dirge "Break Me Off" and into gritty rocker "Junkie" before catchy, distortion-led guitar/vocals-only bout "Porch," it is the culmination of the band's efforts up to that point. Yes, Revelation: Sick Again might have been "available" previously to those skulking around the internet, but in this sanctioned state, it's proof-positive that it deserves recognition as an important piece in the Buzzov*en puzzle.