By: John Reppion
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 27/04/2018
Label: Holy Roar Records
Melted
on the Inch" is going to be huge, and deservedly
so.
“Melted on the Inch“” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1.
Chronosiam
2.
Tarku Shavel
3.
Peykruve
4.
Jromalih
5.
Lokannok
6.
Griffonbrass
The Review:
It's
April 2018, Wigan's very own Prog Sludgers Boss Keloid are back with album number
four, "Melted on the Inch", and it might just be
"the big one". Do heavy bands cross over into mainstream success in
the twenty-teens? If so, what does that even look like? I have no idea,
but whatever form that takes, that's surely what's about to happen to Boss Keloid. Where
reviewers of previous outings have drawn comparisons to the likes of Iron Monkey, Clutch, and Mastodon, "Melted
on the Inch" has much more of a straight-up rock influence,
with a dynamic range to match.
“Chronosiam”’s
gentle proggy intro breaks into a super-chunky riff, with Alex Hurst's powerful vocals pushed to
the fore (as they are throughout the record). By turns triumphant, heavy,
melodic, and atmospheric, it's the perfect opener.
In the
next track we get our first bit of newest member Matt Milne’s
keyboards – a subtle touch of 60s inspired prog organ-work.“Tarku
Shovel” starts out with more than a hint of the 90s about
it, seeming at first like a kind of Soundgarden meets Down type affair,
with Hurst going full Anselmo for the sludgified chorus. The song’s final
two minute movement though – too long to be just an outro – is the
first real taste of the different territory Boss Keloid are venturing into
with "Melted on the Inch", sounding not unlike a
more laid back Baroness.
“Peycruve”’s sneaky,
cheeky, almost jazzy beginnings would not sound out of place on Crime in Choir's 2004 album "The
Hoop"; Arands and (Adam) Swarbrick’s rhythm section locked
in as tight as anything, and with some fantastic guitar work from Paul
Swarbrick throughout. Again we get the light and darkness – the
contrast between the heaviness of one passage and the mildness of the next. The
oft cited King
Crimson influence comes to the fore at a pivotal moment, only
to be swallowed by a wave of heaviness once again.
From
Tribal Tiki Lounge percussive beginnings “Jromalih" becomes one
of the more straight forward, verse/chorus/verse, tracks on the album. It also
has some of the biggest riffs, however, and works very, very well indeed.
"Lokannok"'s wonky synth intro leads us into a track
with a pretty similar arrangement (albeit with more prominent and intrinsic
keyboards), but which is no less effective. If I say that, at times, it (and
other parts of the album) sounds a bit like Neurosis doing a Pearl Jam cover
that might put people off. So I probably shouldn’t say that.
Finally,
“Griffonbrass”
feels like the perfect counterpart to the album opener, so that the pair
bookend the record nicely. This latter showcasing more or less the
full range of styles and influences covered across "Melted
on the Inch".
"Melted
on the Inch" is a really polished sounding record and, if I’m
perfectly honest, then I think it might be a little bit too polished. The way
the very dry vocals are pushed right to the front of the mix, and the keyboards
pushed to the very back doesn’t quite sound right to me. I don’t feel like it
sounds as massive as it could or should. But who gives a fuck what I think? Kerrang and Metal Hammer already love Boss Keloid, and
they’re currently in The Guardian’s Top
40 Tracks for April playlist. "Melted on the Inch" is
going to be huge, and deservedly so.
