Review by SilentScream213 for Boris - Heavy Rocks (2002)

Lemme say two things right off the bat. First of all, I'm not a huge fan of Stoner Metal. Honestly, I'm not much into any of the styles here. Psychedelic stuff is usually far too lethargic and impersonal, sacrificing any and all emotion and feeling for spacey and drugged out atmosphere. Secondly, I've not really enjoyed any of Boris's albums prior to this one. It should go without saying I didn't expect to love this one.

And, well, I don't love it... but I DO like it, quite a bit at that. Boris force some enjoyable energy into their mish-mash of Psychedelic Metal that makes it far more tolerable than most of the lazy Marijuana-fueled stuff out there. They Jam-pack so many different influences into the songs that despite being tied together by Stoner Metal, they each offer something a bit different, and maintain an identity separate from each other.

Boris also use noise and feedback, more techniques I generally don't enjoy, to great effect here. The songs are dense as hell with guitar fuzz, amp screams, and all kinds of digital chaos. The most important part - it works! Maybe they just got lucky, but the noisier stuff here sounds well composed, fitting into the songs with purpose rather than randomly placed. I found myself enjoying the piercing, fuzzy density of the songs rather than recoiling, the auditorial assault working so well because the band still maintains a sound of normal, actual music most of the time and never lose their way from a conventionally composed song even when getting filthy.

Another thing I typically don't enjoy is fun and happiness in my Metal (another minus against Stoner stuff) but Boris pull it off here flawlessly. I thoroughly enjoy listening to the band jam out, and the impassioned vocals full of raw vitality tie it all together.

Shout out to the magnificent instrumental Rattlesnake, and shout out to Boris for taking all the ingredients I typically dislike in Metal and cooking up an album I actually enjoy with them.