SONS OF TONATIUH (s/t) LP/CD
The debut record of Atlanta's SONS OF TONATIUH adds nothing new to the uncomfortable world of sludge, but that should not be taken to mean that this album is superfluous. SONS OF TONATIUH master their trade, no doubt about it. Perhaps one of the reasons for that is Dan Caycedo, a former member of Leechmilk who were one of the most promising sludge bands in the late 1990's. But also in other areas, SONS OF TONATIUH know exactly what kind of ingredients are required for a nasty, heavy sludge brew. There are a lot of mean sounding riffs while the screaming and maniacal vocals being used effectively. All eight songs spread an oppressive dark, disturbing atmosphere, something that shouldn't be missing.
What I personally liked a lot is the fact that SONS OF TONATIUH have incorporated a well-developed hardcore punk edge to a couple of tracks. There are sudden outbursts of energy when they increase the pace, which further underscores the anger within tracks such as 'Consumed' and 'Chain Up the Masses'. All this ensures you're guaranteed a solid level of entertainment. But, as said before, what is missing are sparkling surprising moments. Someone who is well versed in all aspects of sludge knows it all. In principle, the same also applies to other musical genres, but especially in this field a greater effort needs to be made if you want to stick out from dozens of soulless clones of Grief, EyeHateGod and Buzzov•en. Things have not yet got quite that bad with SONS OF TONATIUH, but I had hoped that they take more risks. It would be nice if this band is set to become more radical. Summing up it's solid album, it is enjoyable too but also very predictable.
(KK)