Black Elk - Always a Six, Never a Nine Review
by Mark Hensch
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Always a Six, Never a Nine is a fitting name for this sophomore effort from Portland, Oregon's Black Elk. Beyond its numerical title, Always grooves with mathematically-plotted dissonance, the likes of which is as structured as it is abrasive. Though at times harsh almost to the point of cacophony, Always also features moments of hypnotic melody. Once one adds the x-factor of frontman Tom Glose's frothing vocals, the end result is a short and spastic rollercoaster of an album.
"My Last Shred of Decency" kicks things off, the song unleashing a torrent of stabbing riffs which brings the Amp Rep label days flooding back. Even better is "Hospital," which wanders in with a guitar line sounding like Tool if Tool got high on meth and rolled in mud after passing out in the gutter. After this, "Hospital" rips through some catchy but brutal riffs before wearing itself out on a shimmering guitar solo. Talk about a second wind.
Things slow down after this, with "Pig Crazy" in particular burying itself in the sludge. It winds through avenues of traffic-choked bleakness, often sputtering with all the barely-contained energy of a downed wire. "Stab," for its part, twists like a collection of knives all simultaneously driving into the same body. The intensity, meanwhile, hovers between creepy paranoia and outright insanity. It is a fantastic mix, the likes of which recalls recent Converge at their most confrontational.
After this, the soft hum of "She Pulled Machete" clamps down on the listener like a string of piano wire. As the noose is drawn tighter, so is the band's sense of groove. By song's end, "Machete" blossoms into a plastic bag around one's head, seemingly transparent but in actuality solid and choking.
Last but not least, the knockout combo that is "Hold My Head" and "Winter Formal" end Always with down-and-dirty aplomb. The former sounds like a brawl between the Jesus Lizards and Fight Amp, while the latter slowly burns through a wick of noisy, angular rhythms and violent outbursts. Either way, listeners are in for a wild ride. This record may say it is Always a Six, but in my eardrums this is echoing a lot louder than that.
Black Elk's Always a Six, Never a Nine
My Last Shred of Decency
Hospital
Pig Crazy
The Brazen Bull III
Stab
She Pulled Machete
Brine
The Brazen Bull II
Hold My Head
Winter Formal
CD Info and Links
Black Elk - Always a Six, Never a Nine Rating:8.5
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