Oak & Bone

Oak & Bone [7 inch] (2009)

Brian Shultz

Oak & Bone do hardcore of the smoggy, smokey variety. The guitars are the right kind of fuzzy, the bass vibrates with just the right smoldering touch and the vocals are hollered with a reared-back, D-beat-style bark. Not bad.

I'd like to compare this self-titled 7" to the No Idols full-length Hex put out a few years back, but it's really not as heavy or confrontational. It's like No Idols took a few bong hits before recording and resultingly put a hazy but still mean aura over everything. "Atavistic" begins with a couple of flourishing pounds separated by the most restrained pauses one can muster, before the song comes together a little more fluidly and some excellent stoner riffs in the bridge pushes the finish into overdrive. Closer "Momentum" has some of the more straightforward moments the record provides, clearing skies just a bit.

I'm not floored through and through, but still a cool release for sure.

STREAM
Build Walls
Momentum