BLOODHORSE

Big boulders, cavemen, and lumbering, hirsute beasts, these are the images conjured from the sounds of BLOODHORSE's "Horizoner". Drummer Alex Garcia-Rivera, bassist/vocalist Matt Woods, and guitarist/vocalist Adam Wentworth put the "power" in power trio and "Horizoner" brings the kind of force that can move mountains and drain oceans.

The term used ad nauseum in reviews of the album will surely be "stoner rock," but that's probably too generic to actually mean anything in this case. But to the extent that it is referring to a burly, organic sound and jam session aesthetics then it might be accurate. More than anything though, "Horizoner" is 50 minutes of heavy-ass rock with reference points ranging from LED ZEPPELIN (there is some serious John Bonham drumming) to THE GATES OF SLUMBER to ENTOMBED, not to mention a hearty dose of HIGH ON FIRE and early MASTODON. The damn thing just rocks like a charging rhinoceros in the throes of 'roid rage.

The threesome sure knows how to ride a riff and a groove too, beginning with the 10-minute opening track "A Good Son", during which nuanced repetition never sounded so good. Continuing its love of the long build, BLOODHORSE nails it again on "Nonhossono", ultimately steering it into another fat, Bigfoot stomp and turning propulsive into primal. The art of the jam blows up on "The Morning Ritual" and reveals the album's toughest riff, joining it with some jazzy/jammy beats. The riff riding continues on "In Horror" with a vibe that vaguely reminds of the style heard on parts of BLACK SABBATH's self-titled album.

The fellows do mix it up though. "The Old Man" wraps up in less than five minutes, serving its purpose with aplomb as a classic, dirty doomster with a simple, yet memorable, chorus line. "Aphoristic" rumbles between mid and up-tempo with vocals that approach the DANZIG-esque, as is the case on the upbeat "Close, But Never So" (also featuring a wailing lead guitar). And I'll be goddamned if the heavy-handed and lead-footed "Paranoiac" doesn't make one think of the MISFITS jamming "Devilock" during a practice session at THE GATES OF SLUMBER rehearsal space.

You best pay attention to BLOODHORSE, lest you miss out on the kind of Neanderthal thunder rock that'll leave cracks in your foundation. I'm pretty sure wooden clubs were involved in the making of this album at some point along the way too.