Woodgrain
Bronze

“The Bronze” is a debut album by the heavy rocking 4-piece combo WOODGRAIN from Austin, Texas. It features 12 all-instrumental muscular songs clocking in at only 34 minutes. Stylistically, the music is very close to traditionalist Space Rock marked with the strong presence of synths, yet with the strong influences from classic Hard-N-Heavy proto-metal. The performance is very focused and energetic. It sounds like these guy simple do not want to waste time playing extended guitar and keyboard solos or sending themselves into deep meditation trips. What they do adore is unexpected short-run turns and twists that lovers of thick Avant-Prog-Metal will appreciate for sure. And the last two songs on the Album, “Chicharron” and “Pole Position” demonstrate that the quartet don’t mind of experimenting with both rhythmic patterns and synth-layered textures. Though the tracks were engineered and produced professionally, the overall sound tends to be rather rough, weighty, and brutally loud. I have to conclude that “The Bronze” is a very strong and much promising debut effort, full of ideas and specific Hard-Space-Rockin’ charm. Recommended. P.S. Released by Austin-based independent label Australian Cattle God Records and comes in a simple cardboard sleeve.