Disc 192 is...Quiet Earth
Artist: Bison B.C.
Year of Release: 2008
What’s Up With The Cover?: Only something completely awesome. A bison-headed humanoid floats above the earth in some kind of mystical open-boat, while cradling a human skull in his clasped hands. I also like the way the logo has that "Boston" look.
How I Came To Know It: This one is another from the oft-mentioned mixed CD that Cat and Ross burned for my birthday a couple of years back. They alternated putting tracks on from various artists that they liked. This one was a Ross selection. I loved the track he chose, ("Slow Hand of Death") and so eventually took a chance on the album, and haven't looked back.
How It Stacks Up: I have two Bison B.C. albums - their most recent just came out a couple months ago. Other than those two, they just have an early rare EP I have yet to see. I love both LPs, but I'll make this one tops, since I knew it first.
Rating: 4 stars.
Bison B.C. is another great Vancouver band (there are plenty on the Odyssey). They play pedal-down heavy metal, and take no prisoners. With so much ironic detachment going on in music right now it is refreshing to have a band just charge ahead like a bull in a china shop (or in this case, a bison) and rock out.
Musically, Bison BC reminded me variably of Tool, Iron Maiden and Metallica. The drum and bass sound very much like Tool, the soaring guitars reminded me of Iron Maiden (as did the obscure subjects they sing about) and the speed of the musical onslaught reminded me of the thrash-metal sound of Metallica. They even sneak in a little hard core here and there.
While the type of music they make is nothing new or innovative, the way they put it together is uniquely their own - they may not be expiremental, but nor are they derivative.
The lyrics aren't inspired, but as previously noted the topics are cool. The opening track, "Primal Emptiness of Outer Space" is about launching a colony ship into space after the earth is destroyed or dead. Also - is that a great song title or what?
Many of the songs that follow similarly dwell on the death of our planet, or the extermination of the human race. Cheery stuff. There is also a two part song about the ancient North American Native myth of the Wendigo.
The Wendigo is a malevolent spirit that possesses human beings and drives them to cannibalism (or takes over those who resort to cannibalism on their own - as usual with myth, the line is fairly blurry). It is a pretty creepy myth, and I think Bison BC do it justice:
"No food or fire, it's been so long
Now this hunger deep inside
It grows oh so strong
Watch the others drift off to sleep
The last is gone I shall begin to feast."
Yikes. I've found the Wendigo myth freaky since I was a small kid (I think I first heard about it when I was seven or eight). Fortunately for me, unless you're paying close attention, it is hard to pick out the lyrics.
On this note, this album has recently taken on a special significance for me. I've been back into writing again in recent months (the blog turned out to only be the beginning). "Quiet Earth" has become one of my favourite albums to put on for a session.
I came upon it a bit by accident. Sheila was hosting book club, and I decided some music on headphones would help me stay focused on writing in the back, rather than be tempted to drift out and talk to a room full of intelligent, beautiful women...
What was I talking about again?
Oh, right - anyway, I tried some classical music, but I actually found that engaged my frontal lobes too much, making it hard to concentrate on writing. By contrast, Bison hit me in the lizard brain. Not only did it not interfere with my writing, if anything it provided a visceral energy that helped keep me going. Since then, when I sit down for a session of writing, I usually get kick-started by putting on "Quiet Earth" - whether there's a room full of interesting women or not.
As for favourite tracks, because I tend to listen to this album as a set piece, it is hard to pick out just a few tracks. Frankly, I don't have to; in addition to rocking hard, Bison also rocks responsibly, and the record is a very trim 8 songs (bravo!). They are all good, but I suppose I'll list a few just to be a good sport.
Best tracks: Primal Emptiness of Outer Space, Slow Hand of Death, Medication, Quiet Earth
1 comment:
Not a huge fan of this sound (I have to be really in the mood for it), but good review - it makes me want to listen to Bison BC!
I'm also a bit creeped out by the Wendigo myth (also heard about it when I was a kid).
These guys play in town quite often - we should go with Cat and Ross next time.
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