Supertanker | facebook | bandcamp |
Released on November 7, 2014 via Klonosphere Records
You’d think Supertanker would be easier to find, but I’ve had a hell of a time trying to identify them on the internet after picking Songs From The Ashes to review based on their supposed genre and influences. It turns out there are at least three bands with the moniker out there, but I’ll bet this sludge/groove metal combo from Paris are the heaviest. On their sophomore album Supertanker live up to their hefty title and produce a crushingly heavy sound, equal parts Down, Alice In Chains, Crowbar and Pantera.
Opener ‘Temple of Sin’ and standout track ‘Cold’ are mostly pure Alice In Chains, although ‘Cold’ has a bedrock of death metal growls too violent to be employed by the grunge masters and ‘Temple of Sin’ eventually picks up its pace and is enlivened by a Slayer-esque guitar solo. ‘Cold’ also re-employs the riff to ‘Secret Admirer’ by Pissed Jeans to good effect. You can’t fault the influences. And when ‘Cold’ ends and the band busts into ‘In Fall We Trust’ you absolutely give thanks to the metal gods for having provided with you the ears to hear such a vicious (and vulgar) display of power. I have to say though that the slower numbers such as ‘Used’, whilst providing brief respite before the next onslaught, are either too derivative or unmemorable to be high points in their own right.
Agreeable brutal as most of this album is Supertanker never rise above or divert significantly from their influences, meaning that they make all the right noises without really creating anything recognisably their own. This quite lengthy album serves as a sort of reassuring comfort blanket of noise; breakdowns appear on time to provide the listener a chance to scowl and nod their head, riffs pummel and crush with the perfect amount of attitude and volume, the growls and rasps match the moods, giving vent without the lyrics really making an impression.
If you’re a fan of any of the bands peers then you can happily listen to this album in entirety in a happy fog of mild recognition and respect. However, at its end you are likely to look to trailblazers like Jerry Cantrell, Phil Anselmo and ‘Dimebag’ for having given the world the awesome sounds that Supertanker have recreated.
Songs From The Ashes sounds like a rebirth, but is actually a celebration and imitation of a fine chapter of metal’s past.
