Big Jesus - One

Label: Self Released
Year: 2013

A couple years back Big Jesus were kind enough to release the album "Big Jesus", and we were kind enough to post it here (twice actually...so blame that one on Human Resources). Fast forward to 2013, and Big Jesus are back, and still in a kindly manner, releasing what they are puzzlingly referring to as their "debut album", this one here, the one they are calling "One". Maybe the last one wasn't long enough to qualify as an album (that's what she said)? Or maybe, they had different members and a different sound and therefore have buried that previous recording under a building foundation somewhere? I don't know.
But I can tell you that they have gone from being very "grungy" riffing dudes, to very "grooving" riffing dudes. As if the first album was released in 1993 under the purple haze of Seattle runoff, and this album was released in 1996 under the post hardcore haze of major label feeding frenzy. Like, they went from Alice In Chains (nothing really wrong with that) records to Quicksand (nothing really wrong with that either) records. Endgame: they sound almost identical to Aegis. You know, the band with the guy from Shift (Undertow, actually), that rode that Quicksand wave back when that was a thing, and now updated their sound with a thicker sound, polished vocals, and a hint...a very small hint, of Deftones type dynamics? If you get into Torche's blend of stoner-harmony, and you liked that Aegis record, then you'll be doing just fine with this.
There's a lot of catchy bits in here, and some big, fun riffs which I enjoyed well enough. Hopefully you will as well?

DL