Death Valley High - Doom In Full Bloom (CD)

Rating 8 out of 10. Anyone with love for defunct bands Tinfed and Ghost Ride will immediately recognize Rey Osburn as the voice of Death Valley High, and his latest band retains the quality of his previous endeavors. Upon loading Doom, In Full Bloom into iTunes, doom punk comes up under genre heading, and it s fair to say that there s a somewhat apocalyptic tone weaving through many of the tracks here, though it s certainly a million miles away from the doom genre itself, built on spiky, mostly uptempo rhythms, and boasting serrated riffs stab and lurch in fine style. In places, Death Valley High brings to mind the likes of Glassjaw or Fugazi, in others Minus The Bear or even Karnivool, but there s a strong feel uniting the tracks as their own entity. Multiply is particularly virulent- a pointed, edgy verse hacking away before the guitar squall that underpins the chorus explodes. Osburn s croon racing all over-while Meet Me for a Ouija alternates blastbeat frenzy and throbbing grooves, and if The Wait doesn t have you bangin your head, you are clearly dead. Wrapping things up with the insistent grooves and ethereal tones, Mist & Debris really does seal the deal, leaving you in no doubt you are listening to the start of what s sure to be a stunning career. Dan Slessor -Outburn Magazine