Indian

You know you’re onto something great when a power trio are more imposing and brutal than a band with twice the number of musicians. There’s no hiding behind one another and in the case of Chicago’s Indian, it seems like these guys are fighting over each other to reach you. The first hit, after all, is the most painful and in the case of epic full-length Slights And Abuse/The Sycophant, those punches don’t relent. One constantly feels the weight that each cymbal crash, snare hit or guttural bellow is unleashed with. They all drip of venom and malicious intent. This zeal is entirely necessary though, as the band are still somewhat lacking on a technical level. The songwriting is muddy, with tracks lasting longer than necessary, and not all of their musical ideas are executed clearly. At times, the album feels like a collection of half-baked ideas smashed together into songs, as opposed to seamless pieces flowing creatively. Still, even those rough bits are delivered with conviction and attitude that make for nine bouts of doom meets death metal that is a constant barrage of fun-filled pain.