Blue Heron’s debut release, the 2022 double single ‘Black Blood of The Earth’/‘Everything Fades’ introduced a band who really didn’t skimp when it came to a heavy riff. Their sound, a hearty mix of classic doom and sludge, created a monstrous noise; an intensity that made the tracks instant genre classics, despite vocalist Jadd Schickler’s “gargling with concrete” styled approach occasionally making the Blue Heron sound rather more marginal than some of their peers. A swiftly delivered full length release (‘Ephemeral’) really capitalised on their heavy abilities, but also showed off a band who were also capable of a hefty, bluesy swagger, bringing more of a desert rock/stoner quality. Between these bleak moods, Blue Heron appeared to have the full spectrum of heavier stoner vibes covered…and with aplomb.
A couple of years on, ‘Everything Fades’ brings yet more heaviness, sometimes coupled with Jadd’s distinctive roar but, understanding the need to grow to survive, the material also sees the Blue Heron juggernaut branching out just a little further. This sense of musical adventure can be experienced most clearly on lead single ‘Dinosaur’ which takes the band’s typical layers of distortion and sludge and applies them to a mid tempo, groove laden arrangement that sounds more like Monster Magnet played back through broken speakers. The fuzzy guitar sounds and tom heavy drum part are still classic Heron, as is the omnipresent vocal growl, but there’s a cock-sure swagger at the heart of the material that makes the (should be) oppressive heaviness sound far more buoyant than before. In addition, there’s an unexpected coda where the bass and drums launch into a slow blues, from which, a distorted doom groove takes over, just to remind everyone the “typical” Heron really aren’t far away.
The short ‘Trepidation’ shows Blue Heron experimenting beyond the expected sludge with a desert rock number that utilises a steady bass riff and wah-wahed guitars to set a classic sound in place. Despite using its first half to explore a hazy, jammed out feel – like a more focused Yawning Balch – the number has a definite groove once the heavier aspects start to arise. The end result is “solid” rather than merely heavy, however, showing how naturally the musicians work together, before the heavy stoner-blues of ‘Clearmountain’ showcases the true power in the Blue Heron sound. There’s a world of Kyuss tones lurking, but more importantly, a bigger concession to blues based influences, before a round of tribal drums leads everything into a soundscape of fuzzy guitars and a Queens of The Stone Age-ish deep psychedelia. The music is spot on throughout – with drummer Ricardo Sanchez offering a really hefty anchoring sound – but it’s Shickler’s decision to adopt a more melodic vocal style that stands out here. His stoner injected croon really adds a welcome dark atmosphere to a brilliantly moody track.
Elsewhere, the material takes an unflinching and almost business-like approach to a blues drenched heaviness. This, naturally, isn’t a bad thing, and ‘Swansong’, especially, gives the band a career highlight. Opening with a classic sounding stoner-doom riff, the guitars share a leaden sound from the get go, but the arrival of a heavy drum and distorted bass heavy grumble accentuates a timeless doomy sound. Latching onto a riff that sounds like Down meeting Crowbar with the volume cranked, the sludge oriented riff lurches back and forth, almost bending under its own weight. The volume is such, that everything is massively distorted to the point where the notes occasionally break up under a crackling sound, but there’s a welcome concession to melody too, since the vocal casts aside the intensive and shouty approach, once again, to deliver a deep, bluesy croon. Jadd’s in fine shape – it’s clearly one of his best ever performances – and his moody, lengthier notes help push the Blue Heron sound a little further into Black Label Society territory. Although this often feels more oriented to massive fucking riffs than a memorable melody, the harmonic, longer notes creating what passes as a chorus actually have the potential to stick, which easily makes this a little more accessible than some Blue Heron pieces. If you’ve yet to hear this band, this number would work well as a primer. It’s not always the easiest of listens, but in terms of giving a full picture of the band’s talents, it’s pretty much perfect.
‘Bellwether’ occasionally sounds like a much heavier Screaming Trees (circa ‘Sweet Oblivion’) thanks to a dominant rhythm colliding with swirling guitars on the verses, but when everything really hits its stride, fans will recognise plenty of familiar heaviness. This will especially be the case in the way Mike Chavez’s louder guitar parts are subjected to so much distortion, the sound breaks. Even if you’ve heard this kind of thing from Blue Heron previously, this still has the potential to thrill, whilst the funereal approach to the title cut revisits some of the even moodier aspects of Blue Heron’s prior work. If you came for a distorted, intense take on a stoner metal sound with a roaring doom-inflected vocal, this will more than entertain. It’s certainly one of the tracks where the band settle into a comfort zone, but within the wall of sound, the heaviness is still offset by impressive, almost deep-psych guitar tones which bring an extra layer of melody to the performance.
Closing the album, ‘Flight Of The Heron’ reverts to absolute expectations with a fuzz drenched instrumental workout that sounds like ‘Green Machine’ crossed with a couple of ‘…And The Circus Leaves Town’ era Kyuss tunes, paying tribute to a seminal influence. It’s a reminder that, although Blue Heron sometimes make an effort to breathe new life into classic doom and desert oriented sounds, in many ways, they sound most comfortable when channelling the truly tried and tested. ‘Everything Fades’ features arguably more interesting material, but if you came looking for classic sounding desert rock/stoner amped up to eleven, then this track fits the bill perfectly, making it the ideal way to bow out.
After Blue Heron’s early promise, ‘Everything Fades’ does not disappoint. There are moments where the band hits upon a slightly more melodic streak than before, but this album’s nine tracks more than bring the heaviness required. Between ‘Flight of The Heron’, ‘Dinosaur’ and ‘Swansong’ alone, there’s enough here to keep extant fans happy and new ears entertained, but with no obvious filler, this runs rings around the previous LP. A highly recommended listen.
September/October 2024
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