STONEBRINGER are a stoney, sludgey and heavy rockin' band from Greece and "Those Winds" marks the band sophomoric release. This album has tons of catchy songs and great musicianship all around. Although this four-piece band is quite young, they are already making a huge impression on the music scene. With their rock and roll approach to heavy metal, there is a large amount of variability and enjoyment to be found on this album.

The music of STONEBRINGER is something like a clunkier, less nimble INTRONAUT or BARONESS mixed with MASTODON. Another thing I noticed was how much STONEBRINGER are heavily influenced by indie rock and progressive music as well, even though the drums and guitars retain a distinct level of heaviness to them. The guitar riffs are big and fat and fuzzed the hell out. Nodding your head to the beat of their chunky licks is nearly unavoidable. I really love how the vocal duties are juggled between Nick and Ilias, who both have two very different styles to offer their music but they work exceptionally well.

The production on this record was something to take note of. "Those Winds" was produced by STONEBRINGER themselves, but also with a huge amount of help from David Prudent, the proprietor of Made In Hell Studio in Athens. I think this location to have the album recorded at, had a huge impact on the clear quality of the music on "Those Winds". Prudent could not only get the drums and guitar levels exactly where they needed to be, but he seamlessly incorporates the vocal choruses on the tracks "Depression" and "Rubin". These elements remind me of the alternative band MGMT, if they were a melodic post metal band.

"Those Winds" from STONEBRINGER was an unexpected triumph. I really love how these guys have seemed to pick up the torch that used to be carried by BARONESS and kept this style going. But unlike the activity from either of STONEBRINGER's influences, STONEBRINGER's music is heavy, infectious and captivating.
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