MAKE - Pilgrimage Of Loathing
August 5, 2016, 7 years ago
(Accident Prone)
North Carolina’s psychedelic doom trio, MAKE, is full of rage and vitriolic passion on its third album, Pilgrimage Of Loathing. Fueled by disgust at the current state of the US political system, the band has created six chaotic tracks. Opener “The Somnambulist” is a mammoth beast that sets the ferocious tone for the rest of the album. Consisting of a droning, post metal-vibe, the track slowly explodes in a wall of distortion, decorated with vicious barks and stabbing guitar harmonies from Scott Endres. “Human Garbage” is a scathing diatribe directed at North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and his recently passed HB2 law. Musically, its fuzzy riffs and swift drum patterns keep the track moving at a nice pace.
“Dirt,” a slow-downed cover of the Stooges classic track possesses thunderous drums and crushing Sabbathian chords throughout its seven-plus minute duration. However, there’s some surprisingly melodic vocal harmonies which gives the track a new dynamic that the other tracks doesn’t possess. “Birthed Into A Grave They Made For You” slightly takes the form of King Crimson’s “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part II,” possessing a scathing, fuzz-laden riff decorated with a relentlessly-tight rhythm section. Instrumental “Two Hawks Fucking” somehow doesn’t sound like two hawks fucking to me. Instead of soaring like a hawk, the track drags at a dirge-like pace. Some parts on other tracks similarly drag as well, while other segments are highly repetitive. The production is gloriously ugly, which is perfect for this type of musical style. I suppose Pilgrimage Of Loathing isn’t that bad for this genre of music, but it might not be most people’s cup of tea. However, there’s something about this gritty affair that will invoke the doom-metal beast in each one of us!