Blazoner from Fredericksburg, VA, are a brand new band but the three members are far from being rookies. Stephen Sullivan, guitars & vocals, was in Lord and Alluvion as well as having an extensive solo career; Andy Murray, drums & vocals, is ex-Lord, Alluvion and Ol' Scratch and Brian Carnes, bass guitar & vocals, is a former Alluvion man as well. So the three gentlemen know each other well and they know what they are doing which is wonderfully evident on the debut, 'Escape To Electric Land'.
The album opens up with a short electronica-influenced instrumental, 'Electric Land'. It's kind of spaced out blended with the soundtrack to an 80s horror movie. 'The Servant' follows and brings fast, crushingly heavy-ass metal. Blazoner are not holding back and undauntingly go for the jugular. Coming on like Elder meets Howling Giant going full tilt in 'Ghost'. Not necessarily super fast the song is heavy, melodic, fluid yet crushing. And those vocal harmonies are brilliant akin to the mighty King's X. Blazoner unleash controlled chaos on the listener mercilessly with 'Fallout'. They chew you up and spit you out!
Building up gradually to finally level out 'Onyx Stone' grabs your attention immediatelyall while you're slowly pounded into dust. 'Misfortune' is a mid-tempo composition and an "odd one" in lack of better words. It moves between different styles which normally is a cause for alarm but Blazoner are so damned great that blending punk, grunge, sludge, led-heavy metal and trippy ambience, as they do in this song, it turns into gold. Very nice vocal harmony again 'Time Shift' flows perfectly as it works on all my senses bringing so much satisfaction in the process. Last out is 'Full Stop' and Blazoner goes at it with no abandon, which seems to a trademark of theirs, and I love it! They hold nothing back blending tempos and styles with an elegant flow and such wonderful cohesiveness.
From start to finish 'Escape To Electric Land' holds you in its grip and won't let go even when the music is over. And that's how it should be because that means the album is a cut above the rest. The songs are thought-through, well-written and fantastically executed containing so much substance...it's a recording made for posterity. Brilliant guys, absolutely brilliant!
- Swedbeast
