Dryland – Weekend In The Swamp

 

 

Dryland – Weekend In The Swamp
Self-released – 2023
Rock, Metal, Hardcore, Stoner
Rated: ****

Back in 2020 we wrote about their Dances With Waves album that it felt like a ‘rip-roaring trek through fantastic tales in a grand mix stoner, doom, and hardcore.’ And we were happy to hear their Monomyth single back in September, it retained some of that momentum, but also seemed to move forward. And we are extremely glad to be spinning their brand-new full-sized album Weekend In The Swamp! It’s the new Dryland and the five from Bellingham, Washington, USA deliver another grandiose tour de force through the heavy metal landscape. The Monomyth single featuring Violet Vasquez of Mount Saturn promised a stoner metal extravaganza and opener Haunt The Hearts Of Men delivers on that promise, adds more hardcore touches and a whole lot of alternative metal influences. Huge, muddy riffs thunder over one another, as do the different layers of vocals and vocalists in the many of the tracks. Clashing noisy screams with almost under water singing as well as guttural bellows. Different dynamics and tempo shifts throughout the album keeps the listener glued to the chair, nodding or headbanging along while never knowing where the next mudslide will take the Dryland ruckus. Weekend In The Swamp is an album fueled by holy fire; and we must give a shout-out to the UNKNOWN Recording Studio in Anacortes, WA with engineer extraordinaire Rich "The Fist" Canut, mixer Matt Bayles at the Red Room and master master Ed Brooks at Resonant Mastering in Seattle, WA, cause they made everything sound clear and distinct, even with this much layering and grittiness. In every way, pure craftmanship!

(Written by JK)

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