Review of Sourvein - Emerald Vulture

While it seems likely that the name Sourvein may be new to (or perhaps forgotten by) many, it’d be a mistake not to think that these guys can drop a NOLA sludge hammer on your monkey ass quicker than you can say Dopesick. After all, it’s not like this is a group of newcomers, despite the band’s paltry recording output. Frontman T-Roy (Buzzoven) co-founded the band more than a decade ago, and during the years Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, Down, COC, Crowbar, etc) and Liz Buckingham, of 13 and Jus Osborn’s rebuilt Electric Wizard, have spent time on the crew. The band’s well thought of 2002 sophomore effort, The Will to Mangle was produced by Billy Anderson and the band drafted Vince Burke of Beaten Back to Pure to turn the knobs for Emerald Vulture. These boys know what they’re doing, and they do it well. Since their last album the band has survived member upheaval, label difficulties, and Hurricane Katrina, but have persevered to offer the first of a planned set of three EPs.

What you see is what you get–you won’t find any surprises on Emerald Vulture. But its familiarity makes it no less crushing, and fans of caustic, hellbound sludge will find much to love in this sound. The four tracks offered here clock in at nearly half an hour; a generous offering for an EP. T-Roy’s vocals more than anything else function as a fourth instrument, belching petulant clouds of bilious smoke atop his band mates’ stomach churning slow rumble. The title track sees the band alternate a bullish raucousness with their more typical soul torturing swamp crawl, and “Witch Rides Out..” also spends some time making the band move up and down the necks of their guitars a little more quickly than usual, which works well with the constant crashing of Vince’s hell handed cymbal abuse. Closer “Heart of Ebon” devolves into ten minutes of echoing drone and wail. Excessive? Yes. Hateful and venomous? You bet your fuckin’ life. Would you have it any other way?

If you’ve got an itch for sludge riddled doom, Emerald Vulture will hit the spot. I’ll be looking forward to the release of the two other EPs, and to the realization of the band’s promise on the inside of the album's artwork: “New Orleans will rise again”.

Release Details

Sourvein

Emerald Vulture

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