BlackLab - In a Bizarre Dream (2022)^{Release ID: 39125}

I've been a fan of the Japanese stoner metal duo since their debut ep which saw light of day in 2017. They've come a fair way since those early days and have grown in confidence, with their sludgy stoner metal taking on a certain punkish swagger as they raise two fingers to all the naysayers. Coincidentally I have been listening to the new Boris album also this week and the two do seem to compliment each other pretty well. They aren't exactly the same, but they both utilise a riotous expression of stoner metal, Boris drawing on noise rock and hardcore, BlackLab using sludge and punk to achieve a similar aim. In a Bizarre Dream is the more "metal" of the two albums but is a bit less anarchic than Heavy Rocks. 

There are some killer cuts here, the opening riff to the single Abyss Woods is a real doozy for example and Yuko's guitar work in general is a treat as she fires off riffs and solos with equal abandon. Her vocals aren't bad either, her harsh howls are nerve-shredding and her cleans have a grungy punkishness to them. Meanwhile drummer Chia provides creditable support, having to propel the tracks forward solo with the duo electing not to employ a bassist (which also adds to the punky diy sound of a track like Dark Clouds.)

The driving Crows, Sparrows and Cats features Stereolab's Lætitia Sadier on lead vocal which adds a different dynamic, she sounds a bit like Nico on the Velvet Underground album, which has a softening effect to the track, making Yuko's heavily distorted guitar sound less aggressive and more trippy. Sometimes the duo throttle things back, such as the crawling Evil 2, but in the main they attack the material with a hefty dose of aggression and leave the impression that these two are seriously not to be fucked with. This is stoner metal for sure, but not in a laid-back, groovy style, but in an in-your-face, fuck you if you don't like it assured manner.