For those who don't know Boss Keloid, pay attention. Named after an Iron Monkey song, there's much more to this sludge quartet than meets the eye, or rather, ear. Their 2013 debut, The Calming Influence of Teeth, went relatively unnoticed by the metal scene at large, but it was truly a sleeping giant of an album. Their Keelhaul-meets-Mastodon-meets-Clutch take on sludge is something special, and like a swollen wave of tar, the sophomore album from Wigan's Boss Keloid, Herb Your Enthusiasm, will engulf you with its thick, sludgy atmosphere and stay caked on long after it settles. This album is a different beast than its predecessor, which was a chunkier, groovier affair, but fear not, as the groove is still present in spades on Herb Your Enthusiasm, albeit in a slightly different manner. Whereas the riffs showcased on The Calming Influence of Teeth were as jagged as a carved mountain, those on Herb Your Enthusiasm are as deep and wide as a gaping chasm.
"Lung Mountain" opens the album, a sweeping monolith of a tune that promptly sets the stage for what to expect. This track showcases it all: monstrous, intelligently-composed riffs, driving, fist-pounding rhythms and an eccentric, memorable vocal presence courtesy of vocalist Alex Hurst, who makes for one hell of a frontman. There is a prominent psychedelic element present throughout Herb that opens up new avenues for Boss Keloid's sound, and they utilize it to great avail. Part of this has to do with the guitar effects used by axeman Paul Swarbrick, who almost makes his guitar sound like something resembling a low, rumbling organ. He'll often foreshadow a riff using this effect before laying into it at full power, making for an awesome juxtaposition between the heavy and quiet parts of each song; the climax of "Axis of Green" is a perfect example of this.
Herb Your Enthusiasm is bursting with riffs that swing and clobber their way into your skull. That said, the songs are not one-dimensional by any means; the twists and turns allow them ample breathing room, and the dynamics and intelligent songwriting make this album one that requires multiple listens to fully absorb. It's also worth mentioning that Boss Keloid choosing to enlist Chris Fielding as producer for Herb Your Enthusiasm was a great move on their part. Known for his work with Conan, Electric Wizard and The Wounded Kings, Fielding did a fantastic job of capturing the raw intensity of Boss Keloid, and the album is mixed masterfully. Of particular note is the performance by Hurst, who may be one of the most dynamic and downright entertaining frontmen since Neil Fallon. His performance is almost theatrical in nature, and it's one of those cases where the album as a whole just wouldn't be as powerful without his constant presence.
Simply put, there's never been a sludge album quite like Herb Your Enthusiasm. What Boss Keloid is doing with the genre is new and innovative and exciting, and frankly, they're pushing the way sludge can be done into broad new horizons. Tracks such as "Cone," "Lung Valley," and the instrumental interlude "Highatus" are almost hypnotizing in their execution, and album closer "Hot Priest" is a destructive little ditty that ends the album on an extremely high note. Overall, Herb Your Enthusiasm is as contemplative as it is crushing, as intelligent as it is imposing, and as magnificent as it is monolithic.
Score: 9/10
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