SAHG
"II" (Regain; 2008)
Reviewed by Metal Mark
I wonder if that, around 1970, Black Sabbath had any inkling of the far lasting impact they would create with their deep down sludge-driven approach? Probably not. They were likely just going from one song to the next doing what they thought sounded good. However, their legacy is still as strong as ever in today’s cluttered world of music and Norway’s Sahg tap rather deeply into the vein of Sabbath-y style doom as the basis for their work.
How a band translates their influences is the key and different bands, of course, take Sabbath’s foundation and build in different directions. Sahg’s sound is more stuck in the 1970s than a number of other doom bands. The sound is simple yet cutting plus the production is just right for allowing the sound to have enough fatty heaviness piled on it.
I must admit that the first few tracks were a bit more typical than I hoped, but after that Sahg open up and let loose with a flurry of spine-rattling musical jams here and there. The biggest plus about this band seems to be the spontaneity of their music as they can just start to rip into a wall of sound and it fits just fine despite the slight lack of conventional song structure.
The vocals are a little like Ozzy in the approach, but a little less nasal. The band also injects some 80s style metal in places and it adds to the overall heaviness.
Sahg's "II" certainly won’t make you forget Sabbath, but that’s not the point. The point is that Sahg are taking what’s been done and slowly adding to it by twisting and molding it into their own. I think they are well on the way toward establishing their own sound and identity.
For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/sahg.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised: 28 Oct 2024 11:25:47 -0500
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