Piece returns with a second album.
For the release of Rambler’s Axe, the Berlin-based Sludge/Doom trio has signed with This Charming Man Records.
We start with Heria, the first track, which begins slowly but whose haunting sound is joined by sampled vocals, creating an atmosphere worthy of an old detective movie, before moving on to Demigod, where the vocals join the heavy rhythm. The jerky groove makes the composition quite aggressive while remaining catchy, even offering a rather haunting solo before returning to Bastard Sword, a track with initially quite martial tones, much heavier, even borrowing a few parts from Stoner Rock. There is a slower, more accessible passage shortly after the middle of the song, featuring melancholic leads, then Spheres energizes the pace with much more aggressive drums followed by guitar and bass while the vocalist continues to shout. The track remains very raw even when slowing down, eventually giving way to Hathol, who tempers things by adding some percussion and backing vocals to give rhythm to the interlude, then persists on Ramblers Axe, joining the other instruments and then the vocals. The basis remains fairly constant, but you can feel the track intensifying and becoming even more heady until it slowly begins to fade, offering one last eruption before moving on to Owl Eyes, where the rhythm returns fairly consistently, conducive to waves of controlled heaviness. The track is very listenable, delivering its fat, saturated harmonics before letting Serpentfolk Tyel, the long final composition, close the album with fairly progressive and repetitive patterns, also allowing itself a grand, airy passage that leads to a solo that lasts until the final moments, where the sound captivates us.
Although sometimes very raw, Piece also knows how to give its Sludge/Doom moments of lightness, even melancholic melodies with Rambler’s Axe. The album will undoubtedly be loved by experts of the genre.
80/100