It's been three years since the last Dopethrone full length, but the band's myth has only grown. They are one of the premier acts in sludge metal and their drug-obsessed lyricism paired with top-notch songwriting, crushing riffs, and a few delightful "blech's" makes for a nihilistic journey through the bitter side of the human condition. This is a band who stack colossal riffs one on top of the other in wretched marijuana-infused castles.
This is the sort of drugged-out mastery that for a long time we only thought Weedeater were capable of. We have finally found a band who push the boundaries just as hard and who have the same layer of glorious filth making them not just devastatingly heavy but almost frighteningly real. This is the sound of the world burning and I can't help but love it. Apocalyptic and fierce there is a gut-wrenching terror that accompanies this album and which will have you gasping for breath.
There is an undeniable and delightful groove underlying everything that Dopethrone do here. Even in their most twisted and graphic moments where they are struggling along in a pool of their own excrement, they communicate a forward motion and an almost boogie that makes it hard not to admire their aesthetic. This is a band who communicate a true sense of rock and roll rebellion despite the mess they surround themselves in. There is dirt and mold coming off every bar of this record, you can practically smell the squats in which this abomination took form and that's what makes it so special.
With their fairly stripped back elements, they are able to conjure up something that evokes a bleak reality that we are all unpleasantly familiar with. Maybe you try and stay on the right side of the tracks, but Dopethrone sure as fuck don't. More eloquently than almost all of their peers they reflect some of the most terrifying demons of our society and force us to come to terms with something inside ourselves. When you have a record that starts with a song called "Planet Meth" you know what you're in for, and it's fucking scary, which is why I love it.
So join me in the degenerate swing of Dopethrone. This album is a step forward for the band, a growth musically into ever darker pastures but with a stronger and more clear sensibility to it. The band has always had a very distinct idea of who they are and how to execute and Transcanadian Anger only seems to enhance the myth. This is the sound of the monsters of our world coming to life and knocking at your door. Not only that though it's the realization that beneath the surface of any community these days we have the curse of addiction wreaking havoc. If this isn't something you want to be reminded of, stay away. But if you love enormous riffs, incredible songs and a sense of triumphant self-destruction that you really can't find anywhere else join me in the pit.
Overall 9.5/10
