ALBUM REVIEW: Family The Smiling Thrush – Boss Keloid
It’s been three years since the release of the highly regarded Melted On The Inch album, which saw Wigan quartet BOSS KELOID gradually refine their progressive doom/sludge metal sound that has shaped their early career into one of more of a psychedelic flavour. On their fifth record Family The Smiling Thrush, they have kept that vibe flowing but have somehow topped their previous record with an album filled with gargantuan melodies, punchy riffs, and impressive drumming topped off with a remarkable production job from Chris Fielding.
Rising from the doom/sludge underground, BOSS KELOID have steadily found themselves improving album upon album, finding their sound and harnessing what makes them so unique. While they have elements of other acts sprinkled within their works, they truly do only sound like themselves as a unit.
The opening track Orang Of Noyn is a nine-minute prog paradise. While it doesn’t come crashing out of the gate, it sucks you in straight from its early moments. Alex Hurst‘s effortlessly powerful vocals bellow over Paul Swarbrick‘s intriguing guitar lines. The track holds an almost sinister tone throughout, with its hard-hitting bass crashing along with the drums. The chorus is huge and sees the track soar out from its dark depths searching for new life, which feels like a well-choreographed fight sequence. There’s a lot of contrast here but it is fit together beautifully. The nine minutes fly by and before you know it, we’re on to track two and the first single Gentle Clovis.
Here we see the progression of groove that the guys have perfected over the years. It wouldn’t feel out of place within the 70s prog scene, and its infectious melody makes it a standout early on. The chorus is one of the most breath-taking sections the band have created since Chronosiam. It’s incredibly uplifting and you can really feel the power radiating from every note.
The drumming from Ste Arands is stunning throughout and is helped by the crushing and raw sounding production. Every hit of a drum or cymbal is felt like you were front row at a BOSS KELOID gig. Each strike penetrates through the track but never feels overpowering. Hats The Mandril perfectly showcases every instrument working in perfect harmony. It may be the greatest example of musicianship on the album.
The heartfelt Smiling Thrush is a brutally beautiful ode to a parent lost. It drills right into your very soul and is a special moment on the album and for the band themselves. It will need to be played live with everyone singing along at the top of their lungs with Hurst. The lyrics “If we don’t love, how can we ever take flight/He fills my soaring light/He brings the glow for life” are goosebump-inducing.
Cecil Succulent opens with Liam Pendleberry-Green shining on bass. His lines dancing behind the vocals will make your head bob but also wonder where they will head to next. Riffs are replaced by riffs and then replaced by riffs which are all as engrossing as the last. The trippy bounce from here to there throughout the album keeps you on your toes without being too complicated to follow. Their proggy melodies are juxtaposed by their sludgy/doom-laden passages and riffs and work to great effect to create their signature sound.
As the last moments of Flatt Controller roll to a close, it’s hard not to automatically press the replay button without hesitation. There’s a lot to unpack on Family The Smiling Thrush and it will most likely take you a few listens to really take everything in on display here but it’s well worth your precious time. Music is an art form made to make you feel emotions and this album will take you on a journey full of passion and intensity with plenty of standout moments to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Family The Smiling Thrush is an incredible achievement in song-writing and musicianship which should hopefully have listeners wondering where the band have been all their lives, while fans already up to date with BOSS KELOID should be in awe of their ability to keep improving album upon album. You’ve set the bar high here lads.
Rating: 10/10
Family The Smiling Thrush is set for release on June 4th via Ripple Music.
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