Reviews

It's difficult to describe Emanuel in words but close your eyes and picture Southern rock. Now take away the beer bellies and Lynyrd Skynyrd shirts and you've got Emanuel; pure, hard hitting, leg tapping rock ‘n' rollers.

The Louisville, Kentucky band, like many Southerners before them, create a conglomeration of sounds on Black Earth Tiger, mixing throbbing guitar riffs with heavy melodies and passionate lyrics. Singer Matt Breen's fervor and electric emotion take each song into territory Emanuel hadn't really explored with their debut album. Breen's vocals take on a multitude of sounds and with the help of lead guitarist and back up vocalist Mat Barber you'll no doubt be hooked on the many sweet Southern sounds Black Earth Tiger has to offer.

The album opens up with "Whiteflag," a soothing melodic intro that turns your senses on to the overwhelming apocalyptic-like theme throughout the album. If somehow involving widespread destruction and devastation to its lyrics makes the vocals throughout Black Earth Tiger that much more creepy and fun to listen to, then so be it.

"Cottonmouth" is a song that immediately tears into your flesh and makes you feel like it's predicting a disastrous outcome for us all. Aside from its more intense lyrics is its catchiness. Breen's double duty as screamer and crooner do justice to the heavy hitting intensity of the track. Songs like "Cottonmouth" and "Anathamatics" are deep, rage-filled tracks that showcase Breen's howls and yelps, which are sometimes short of sounding like a dog's cry for help.

The heavy drums, guitar breakdowns and screeching vocals that start off "Scenotaph" take you by the skin and shake you. Breen really belts it out on this track and as a result of his efforts, creates a dark, catchy tune. "Spread your legs and lets fuck the world," catchy isn't it?

On "Abandonment Star," you'll want to bob your head for hours until your hair falls out. The beats are deeply rock driven and provide a heavily guitar influenced sound that plays into Breen's heaving wails and shrieks.

After "Abandonment Star" and its wonderful showcase of Emanuel's ability, the record sadly takes a turn for the not so exciting. While the guitar playing and drums are solid on "Year of the Pig" and "Let Them Die," Breen's vocals are bleak and seem like they're taking a rest.

The record closes off where it started, with a reprise of the track "Whiteflag" and loses touch with the rest of Black Earth Tiger until the very end when Breen's vocals transition from crispy, clear and sweet to loud and hoarse. For the most part, the record is all about musical experimentation for Emanuel and its singer and it sounds like they've found a peaceful niche between brutal, in your face intensity and moderate, subdued activity.