Stray Dogs
Chorosia
From Bandcamp, “We are a Progressive Sludge band from Vienna, Austria. Founded in summer of 2017, we play the music we wanna hear. Iommosphere is where we dwell.” Their newest EP has five songs, and the title track is first. Much of the song is heavy in psychedelica, but the Progressive elements are strong also, and the harsh vocals give it a sinister twist. There is also a weighted dissonance in the guitar work. “The Shrike (Fire Assault)” is about half as long and features a lively but discordant riff with low end bass work in support. The tuning is so low that is almost drops off the cliff and into the ocean.
“Tintinnabula” is a short, one-and-a-half-minute transitional song connecting the first two to the last two, perhaps taken from “tintinnabulation” which means “a ringing or tinkling sound.” “Reflections” was the first video released from the album. It is slow moving, and peppered with clean, melancholy tones. It reminds me of relaxing in a dark hookah lounge, occasionally seeing others through the haze of smoke but mostly being left alone to ponder your thoughts. Anger rears its head every now and again, but much of the song is mellow, or reflective as the title suggests.
“Hands, Switchblades, and Vile Vortices” closes the EP. It is dark, deep, and heavy, sounding like a sleeping giant crawling from his cave following a long hibernation. As he wakes, he experiences that disturbed feeling we all get from being half-awake, and begins throwing things, and the crash on the mountain side with a noted reverberance. Overall, although only essentially four songs long, the listener could get an easy sense of the album. The heavy, dissonant Sludge tones are most noticeable, followed by Progressive elements, mostly in the meter. For me, it was a dark trip through areas of my mind that I had previously kept locked away.
8 / 10
Excellent
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Stray Dogs" Track-listing:
1. Stray Dogs
2. The Shrike (Fire Assault)
3. Tintinnabula
4. Reflections
5. Hands, Switchblades, and Vile Vortices
Chorosia Lineup:
Chris Turner – Bass
Gregory Reinig – Drums
Anto Pranjić – Vocals, Guitars
Florian Zeus – Vocals, Guitars
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