Battlefields-Thresholds of Imbalance(2009)

Such pretentiousness has invaded our genre that formally took pride in a kind of adolescent self indulgence, gleefully rolling in the mud, enjoying every bit of its depression. But now, Sludge Metal is the new proving ground of thoughtful young men and their highfalutin ideas and moonscapes under the influence of mild to hard drugs, but unfortunately has lost that sense of graveyard reveling. Such is the case of Battlefield's sophomore epic.

There are many long, boring excursions into the musical ionosphere, too many for anyone looking for a little arhhh in between the art, too much ambiance and not enough element. This is not due to lack of inventiveness on behalf of the musicians, as there are many inventive riffs and rhythm patterns. This is due to a philosophical shift in the post-metal landscape, and is indicative of the genre as a whole. The heavy parts are not nearly as abrasive as to make the long, quiet parts ring with an eerier putrescence that lays the foundation of catharsis and release, which is vital to the whole Heavy Metal experience. The guitars are much too muted and hollow sounding, with out that deep throb that makes sludge so satisfying.

The quiet parts reek of Sonic Youthful artiness, which seems to be the focus of the album; long dissonant passages that do succeed to create an atmosphere of subtle disquiet, but indulge in too much whispery navel gazing to be considered truly metal.

This album succeeds as heavy indy rock, but not as metal. Label under Isis-clone and pull out the Exodus and Manowar to clear the sinuses.

Rating: 5 out of 10