By Jonny Bakes
I’m used to getting albums that are being given a second lease of life on vinyl, but it’s not often that I get ones that are being re-released for an exclusive cassette run. But with the resurgence of popularity of those little plastic packets of audio goodness, and sales of pencils going through the roof as a result, we’re starting to see more and more cassette editions of albums! Today it’s Texan groove-metallers Switchblade Jesus who are getting on the cassette hype to re-issue their 2020 sophomore album ‘Death Hymns’ to attract even more fans into the fold.
Switchblade Jesus are a band who cannot be contained to a single genre, in fact I suppose you could call them genre-fluid. But one thing is for certain, they manage to pack an almighty punch with one hell of an infectious groove. They take the energy and rhythm of upbeat stoner metal and combine it with thrash and prog metal elements to forge something that feels a little like Mastodon at times. The vocals are punchy and aggressively delivered over the top of fantastic catchy riffs that make it almost impossible to listen to without banging your head. This is often interspersed with slow, almost doom-like, breakdowns that slowly build in ferocity before launching back into the main riffs and unleashing the pent-up energy. Without a doubt, Switchblade Jesus are the kind of band I’d like to see live as their energy would simply bring the house down!
‘Death Hymns’ is a very strong example of their style and leans a little more into the prog elements, whilst not trying to be an out and out prog metal album. For a sophomore album it’s a well-polished and cleverly crafted release that shows strong development from the self-titled debut release. It has ups and downs in all the right places to keep you hooked from start to finish, with bucket-loads of heavy groovy energy interspersed with the odd solid “chug” moments that kick you right in the gut. ‘Death Hymns’ may only last 27 minutes, but with the ferocious amount of energy it’ll feel like it’s been so much longer by the time you fall out the other end of the wringer!
Stand out track for me is the album opener ‘Scorched’ that does everything you could possibly want from an opening track. In this, Switchblade Jesus set out their stall and show exactly what kind of aggressive groove-fueled energy they have in store with ‘Death Hymns’. After a suspense building drone (because it wouldn’t be a true opener without it), it launches into a simple-but-effective riff that is accompanied by some seriously hard hitting drums that set the pace and energy level for the album to come. Every now and again there’s the odd flash of a sexy guitar lick that surfaces above the heavy noise that makes up the bulk of the track too, just to give you a little tease.
Overall, ‘Death Hymns’ is a winner of a sophomore album and is well deserving of its cassette release, and I’m glad that it was brought to my attention. I think there’s definitely something here for fans of Mastodon for sure, but the genre-crossing nature of the music will appeal to a wide range of fans! If you like your metal to be heavy, groovy and energetic then you need look no further than Switchblade Jesus and ‘Death Hymns’.
- ‘Death Hymns’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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