burden a hole in the shell

Released: 21 March 2011 Label: Ván Records

Germany, to me at least, is better known for its thrash metal bands rather than it’s sludgy stoner metal but it’s the NOLA groove rather than the thrashings of fellow countrymen Kreator, Destruction, Sodom et al that have inspired Burden.

I must admit that this album passed me by on its initial release but on the back of a recent support slot with Kyuss Lives it seems that A Hole in the Shell is getting a bit more of a push. Sitting somewhere between the monolithic riffing of Crowbar and the grooves of Down, with even hints of our own Orange Goblin at points, Burden are far from the most original band around. What they lack in originality though they more than make up for with their skill in allying huge riffs that are simultaneously aggressive and groovy with some great vocal hooks that I can imagine a venue full of people singing along to.

If I’m honest, as enjoyable as A Hole in the Shell is it’s not perfect. While there’s no particularly bad tracks the album does drag a little at points and perhaps a couple of songs less would have made the album feel a tad tauter as a whole – something exacerbated by my promo copy having the three bonus tracks that appear on the vinyl edition of the album. Still, even with that there’s a lot to enjoy about this album and for the band’s debut it shows an awful lot of promise, definitely a name to watch out for in the future.

by Neil Woodfin