Songs included last year on the split album with Catatomic had already shown a slight development towards something thicker and more dynamic too, which is more than confirmed through those 10 new songs. Old fans will still find their count here though, BOTS is not the kind of band that makes compromises for the subjective pleasure of anybody, so it's not a too drastical change at all, more of a natural evolution...
Whereas the main influences of Neurosis and Crowbar are almost definitely digested, the overall approach is not as straigth and brutal (including in the vocals, screaming and throaty but not as growling as previously) but is still extremely heavy and downtuned.
In fact along with some discordant melodies sparingly displayed here and there, the most essential change to my ears is the DOOMier mood that is overhanging "Tarnation", not just by the slower moments ever composed by the band but more due to a constant bleakness and ominous atmospheres, it's not yet the end of the world but the sky is terribly dark and low !
Even if not always obvious at first listening, songs like "(Roasted in the Depths of the) Sloar", "Bookatee Willalee" or "Snapmare" are vicious growers, there's definitely more going on in the songs and B.O.T.S. cleverly didn't let themselves being locked into the straitjacket of a noisy and repetitive Sludge...
Along with the ultra-slow "Repugnance", I guess that my fave song is the epic closer "What are You Looking at Dicknoose ?", don't know about the lyrical content of this one but musically it's no joke song at all, rather an anthemic piece of malevolence !!! it clocks at about 11 minutes and sees the guest appearance from members of scottish fellows Black Sun on vocals, the result is damn catchy and eyes seriously on haunting (Post) Black/Sludge in a venomous way... I think this one represents the most faithfully how BASTARD OF THE SKIES sounds today and will in the future and that's fucking GREAT stuff.
The production by Matt Richardson (voc/guit) himself confirms the quality of his previous works for Black Magician, The Lamp of Thoth, The Human Condition, etc... considering the richness of the UK scene and the value of his work, he should be certainly very busy in the future, but let's hope he'll save all necessary time for BOTS cause his band has now reached a level that should open them wider horizons...
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