Bison – “You Are Not The Ocean You Are The Patient” [Album Review]

If there is one band that is just flat out remarkable in the solid consistency of their material throughout their career, despite the mountain of crap that has been dumped on them over the years, it’s Vancouver’s Bison. Their sludge-and-roll has delighted many an ear throughout the years (including these tired aural nubs), and I am beyond happy for their latest and greatest on Pelagic Records; a snug fit and good alliance if you ask me.

Things get underway with “Until the Earth Is Empty”, a strong, mid-paced opener with a main riff as heavy as thunder. The boys have a way of injecting a certain melancholy into their songs without sacrificing power; as one can see wonderfully in the intro to “The Water Becomes Fire” with a ghostly trail of dissonant viola lending a light texture to a granite exterior. It’s a very thoughtful and emotional track to end such a powerful album and it tends to calm you a bit after the outrage of the rest of the opus before it.

Though a more mature effort, that doesn’t temper the sonic beatdown for a minute. The stompers are mean and gritty, like in “Anti-War” and “Raiigin”, both containing everything one would love about Mastodon, Norska, Unsane, Neurosis etc. This band’s time has been seriously way overdue and here’s to hoping that justice and kudos from the metal world finally reaches them.

You Are Not the Ocean You Are the Patient Track Listing:

01. Until the Earth Is Empty
02. Anti War
03. Drunkard
04. Kenopsia
05. Tantrum
06. Raiigin
07. The Water Becomes Fire

Run Time: 38:15
Release Date: June 23, 2017
Record Label: Pelagic Records

The caustic album opener, “Until the Earth Is Empty”.