Early Day Miners

The imagery brought by the band name is actually quite apt for the music contained within. An orange sun dusting the top of the horizon, illuminating the lonely march of men towards their dark destiny in the ground, maybe? Aptly, there is much juxtaposition between light and dark, as some songs float along with wispy vocals and guitars, while others explode into bursts of throbbing tension. Opener "Errance” leans toward a more straightforward sound, with a deadpan vocal delivery and guitar similar to that of Papa M. "All Harm” and "Precious Blood” live up to their foreboding titles, as just the slightest droplet of hard rock seeps in, with "Blood” coming to an especially crashing conclusion. Also, closer "The Purest Red” eclipses the earlier numbers with its intimate, hopeful nature being wonderfully expounded through a sparse chorus. Indeed, it’s that chorus that shows that Dan Burton does have a lovely voice, also barely heard in the opener, but throughout the middle of the album it refuses to be heard, almost like aforementioned miner who experiences the open air but two times a day. Some lovely moments, but enough flaws to warrant a second thought before plunging headlong into it.