Grazil Records has always been a catalyst for releasing excellent Austrian underground bands, and it still goes strong as a record label today. Chorosia’s “Stray Dogs” is one of the sheer examples of things done right, both sonically, visually, and aesthetically. It’s the latest full-length album by this Vienna-based band, serving as an adequate follow-up of “A Call To Love,” their excellent album released by Grazil Records in 2021. Sonically, Chorosia embraces the fundamental elements of sludge music, combined with some of the finest properties of stoner, doom, thrash metal, black metal, etc. These experimentations with different but complementary styles suit them well, as the band showcases tremendous creativity, ideas, and musicianship all at once. It’s nearly mindblowing how every sonic ingredient incorporated in these songs shines bright in the limelight, highlighting, enhancing, accentuating, and decorating particular segments or entire songs at once.
The title track is an outstanding sonic assault on all senses, clocking around almost eleven minutes. It’s a dark, melodic, cathartic, but also heavy, powerful, aggressive composition, carrying cleverly arranged, complex segments, brilliant ideas, and impressive instrumentations. The band continuously levitates between all mentioned styles, while the sludge metal remains their primary sonic direction. “Stray Dogs” also carries a catchy, memorable, engaging ethno/world music-inspired theme that floats throughout the entire song, keeping the listening apparatus involved from scratch to finish. The raw, abrasive, fuzzy, heavily distorted riffs lurk around while the melodies and harmonies shine in the limelight. The well-articulated screams command attention and keep listeners tied to the sonic assault from the beginning to the end while the rhythm section acts as a backbone propelling these instrumentations to new heights. The vividly intricate low-ends rumble beneath the guitars offers more than necessary heaviness, clarity, and depth while the drummer delivers complex beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. Chorosia follows this sonic recipe for the majority of their heavier songs, but they also continuously levitate between different moods, moments, and ambiances.
“The Shrike (Fire Assault)” is a magnificent display of their diverse sound. This piece showcases a perfect combination of speed, thrash, and proto-black metal sound with subtle touches of sludge. The vocals truly shine here, with blackened screams and growls continuously shining in the limelight. The impressive guitar maneuvers work like a charm, providing a dosage of richness, complexity, and technicality. In the meantime, the catchy basslines give that necessary punch, shaping the powerful sonic display. Like the remainder of the band, the drummer also stands out with his hectic rhythmical acrobatics. “The Shrike (Fire Assault)” will immediately get into your ears and refuse to let go even after the song ends. “Tintinnabula” is an excellent instrumental built upon progressive, psychedelic, ethereal chord progressions, serving as an interlude to “Reflections,” another ten-minute demonstration of their creative and musical abilities. It commences with another dosage of arpeggiated chord progressions, empowered by rock-solid rhythmic support and profoundly melodic, flawlessly performed clean vocals. This track carries that psych and southern rock vibe before it transcends into a sludgy, doomy piece where heavy, powerful raw riffs and magnificent screaming vocals reign supreme. The particular moment where blastbeats strike is noteworthy, as the band showcases their experimental and creative side. It’s a phenomenal composition worth revisiting over and over again.
“Hands, Switchblades, And Vile Vortices” closes this magnificent sonic journey with another comprehensive collection of aggressive vocal acrobatics, sludgy riffs, rumbling low-ends, and exceptional rhythmic sequences. Like the title track or “Reflections,” this track also carries many profoundly complex segments where every instrument resonates with tremendous musicianship, finesse, and precision. These folks are not joking around with their music and that’s vividly hearable from scratch to finish. It’s a sludge metal masterpiece that will immediately become one of your go-to albums whenever you crave intricate, raw, heavy underground music. “Stray Dogs” arrives on black vinyl, CD, and cassette, so head to Grazil Records or Chorosia Bandcamp page for more information about ordering. Don’t miss it!
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