Originally written by Jason Jordan.
Stonecutters – a four-piece hailing from Louisville, Kentucky – are an interesting bunch. Within their ranks they hold a former member of My Own Victim, a former member of False, a professional skateboarder, and a 3-time ECW Champion. What’s even more baffling is their choice of music, which can be categorized as stoner/sludge/doom, making it seem as if the band should be located farther south than the city that houses Colonel Sanders’s grave.
Ranging from accelerated numbers such as “The Bloodiest Battle,” “The One and a Third/Shaher,” and “The Death of Me” to mid-paced dirges like “Our Mother of Sorrows,” “On Stronger Winds,” “Lay Your Burdens Down,” “Horseshoes and Handgrenades,” “Quasimodo,” “Cosmic Identity,” and “Stonecutters,” this Self Titled debut doesn’t necessarily display the same properties all the way through. Coated with a healthy amount of mud and grime at all times, however, it’s quite apparent that Stonecutters aren’t the tightest unit around, which doesn’t necessarily become a stumbling block for them in any capacity. Calling the musicianship sloppy would be going overboard, I think, since the style doesn’t rely on immaculate precision, and though Omer’s strained, raspy vocals are what some would label an acquired taste, they are unique and strangely fit the music. The production is solid, too, but the bass drum is too low in the mix, blending in rather than commanding attention as it should. In all honesty and fairness, Stonecutters could stand to improve within each area outlined above, and they’d be a better group if they opted to do so.
Really, this full-length appears to be the result of countless hours spent listening to Louisianan metal, or, more specifically, output from Down, Crowbar, Soilent Green, Eyehategod, COC, et al and then using the knowledge gained from said immersion to produce an equally dirty record. Self Titled drags a bit occasionally, and isn’t the most refreshing album, but I believe Stonecutters reached the bar they set for themselves. I’m trusting – and hoping – the next installment will upstage this one with little to no effort. Stonecutters – a four-piece hailing from Louisville, Kentucky – are an interesting bunch. Within their ranks they hold a former member of My Own Victim, a former member of False, a professional skateboarder, and a 3-time ECW Champion. What’s even more baffling is their choice of music, which can be categorized as stoner/sludge/doom, making it seem as if the band should be located farther south than the city that houses Colonel Sanders’s grave. Ranging from accelerated numbers such as “The Bloodiest Battle,” “The One and a Third/Shaher,” and “The Death of Me” to mid-paced dirges like “Our Mother of Sorrows,” “On Stronger Winds,” “Lay Your Burdens Down,” “Horseshoes and Handgrenades,” “Quasimodo,” “Cosmic Identity,” and “Stonecutters,” this Self Titled debut doesn’t necessarily display the same properties all the way through. Coated with a healthy amount of mud and grime at all times, however, it’s quite apparent that Stonecutters aren’t the tightest unit around, which doesn’t necessarily become a stumbling block for them in any capacity. Calling the musicianship sloppy would be going overboard, I think, since the style doesn’t rely on immaculate precision, and though Omer’s strained, raspy vocals are what some would label an acquired taste, they are unique and strangely fit the music. The production is solid, too, but the bass drum is too low in the mix, blending in rather than commanding attention as it should. In all honesty and fairness, Stonecutters could stand to improve within each area outlined above, and they’d be a better group if they opted to do so. Really, this full-length appears to be the result of countless hours spent listening to Louisianan metal, or, more specifically, output from Down, Crowbar, Soilent Green, Eyehategod, COC, et al and then using the knowledge gained from said immersion to produce an equally dirty record. Self Titled drags a bit occasionally, and isn’t the most refreshing album, but I believe Stonecutters reached the bar they set for themselves. I’m trusting – and hoping – the next installment will upstage this one with little to no effort.
