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Leeches Of Lore: Leeches of lore

31/08/09 || Habakuk

I had no clue what this might be, and when I first listened to it, my initial reaction was not too positive. Then, within a couple of minutes, something had me hooked and kept me interested. What might it be? Leeches Of Lore are filed under speed/thrash in the Metal-archives. Metal-archives are filed under bullshit. This album may have some thrashy hints, but seriously, calling this thrash is as misleading as it gets. Just look at the cover art. I don’t really know how to classify this, but I’ll try by calling it a low-tech, trippy version of Mastodon meets Trouble. There are heavily sludgy influences from the guitar distortion to the high vocals, but apart from that, the Leeches have a strong tendency to use clean guitars. In the end round about two thirds of the guitar parts are not distorted, which gives me a strong campfire vibe, but in a positive, southern-tinged sense. Fucken campfire thrash.

Excuse the following song-by-song treatment, but there are so many different things to point out, generalizations don’t cut it. There are lots of weird ideas on this CD, but I can’t say I’m put off by that one bit. It all flows well from song to song as well as within the songs, no matter how strange the combination. Consequently, it’s hard to start off an album like this, because it definitely needs a bit of time to work its charm. Even with that in mind, though, “Machrochelys Teminckii” (I don’t have to tell you animal enthusiasts that this describes the Alligator Snapping Turtle) is definitely not the best way to do it. After you’ve gotten into the album’s strange vibe, it’s easier to appreciate the chaotic approach at stoner heaviness they apply with that turtle, but in the beginning it’s a bit awkward. More strange stuff works later on though, so by the time I got to “The champion breeder” that literally begins with vocals that sound like the Chipmunks, I didn’t mind that at all and let the song flow towards a minimalistic, sinister melody that leads into a psyched-out second half…

In “I am the raptor”, the two (yes, two) guys throw together an intro that totally sounds like “Cursed”-era Morgoth, a pumping stoner beat, sombre, clean guitar melodies, Rockabilly-like rhythms and a great shout-along one-time chorus and finish it all off with a part that, while not as heavy, in its dynamics reminds me very strongly of Mastodon’s “Megalodon” uptempo-break. The most interesting thing is that they make it work.

“Cenozoic death waltz” actually passes as a waltz, the rough stoner parts of “Cougar vs. bear” and “Black cognac” are nice, speedy interludes, there are a couple of droning minutes that end the title track, there are some wacky sci-fi lyrics that remind me a bit of Clutch in the slow, thick-tongued “Western Skies”, “Dance of the fairy at the springtime witching”, what the fuck, frames a stoner part in the middle including “dance, dance, dance!” gang shouts and a great guitar lead with folkish drums and acoustic guitar. Finally, the short “Why, toe-bot?” provides the listener with more weirdness and a gentle kick in the butt to close the album.

Catch your breath, press play again.

Overall, this is amazing stuff that has grown on me very quickly, from initial raising-one-eyebrow to huge enjoyment. And the songtitles contain so many animals that I can finally open up my little farm. Go check it out. The album, not my little farm.

7,5

Information
Released: 2009
Label: MeteorCity
Website: Leeches Of Lore MySpace
Band
Steve Hammond: vocals, guitar
Andy Lutz: drums
Noah Wolters: auxiliary organ/keyboards/bass/vocals

Tracklist
01. Machrochelys Temminckii
02. I am the raptor
03. Cenozoic death waltz
04. Pig scrapings
05. Black cognac
06. Cougar vs. bear
07. Leeches of lore
08. The champion breeder
09. Dance of the fairy at the springtime witching
10. Western skies
11. Why, toe-bot?

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