By
Citizen X
It's
rare that a band manages to get things so right with
their debut album, but that's exactly what German
heavy rockers Burden have managed to achieve
with A Hole In The Shell. Let's clear one thing
up right now, this is not heavy metal, it may be heavy,
but it is firmly grounded in a rich history of heavy,
sludgey rock that traces back through stoner rock
and grunge in the 90's, all the way back to Black
Sabbath in the 70's. One of the things that makes
this album special is how Burden have managed
to take their myriad influences and blend them together,
along with their own personalities to create a record
that sticks out as being unique in a modern music
scene where too many bands sound alike.
Opener
Bless The Broken certainly does an excellent
job of setting the tone of the album, a slow builder
of a song that showcases Thorsten's gravely, pained
vocals, before moving on to one of the true highlights
of the record; Done With Denial. A catchy song
that invokes images of early Soundgarden and
Down, Done With Denial would surely
make an excellent choice for the bands lead single
in the UK. Having said that, this really is an album
of highlights, Man Of No Account and The
Slug. The Drag. The Misery being excellent examples
of Burden's superb song writing abilities.
Whilst
there is a nice level of consistency running through
the album, it would be unfair to assume that this
band are a one trick pony, as is adequately proven
by the hidden track at the end of album closer Conflict.
The band recently revealed that the nameless track
is in fact titled A Hole In The Shell, and
what is presented is a four minute acoustic song that
showcases a slower, softer, yet still morose side
to the band.
All
in all, we couldn't have asked for a better debut
from Burden and given the reaction they've
been receiving on their recent tour in the UK supporting
Kyuss Lives!, it's not hard to imagine that
this five piece from Germany will be gracing our fair
shores again soon.
Album Rating: 9/10
Best Tracks: Done With Denial, Man of No Account,
A Hole In The Shell (Hidden Track)
For Fans of: Soundgarden, Down, High On Fire
