END OF LEVEL BOSS
Inside the Difference Engine
(Exile On Mainstream)

ISOLE
Bliss of Solitude
(Napalm)

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE
& THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O
Nam Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo
(Ace Fu)

O'DEATH
Head Home
(Ernest Jenning)

TRAP THEM
Seance Prime
(Deathwish)

DYSRHYTHMIA/ROTHKO
Fractures 

(Acerbic Noise Development)

THE FIRE THE FLOOD
Truth Seekers

(No Sleep)

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I vaguely remember the English stoner rock band Hangnail, but from its ashes comes End of Level Boss. Their moniker is a head scratcher for sure; but from what I read people into video games get it. Something about the last character that needs to be destroyed to complete the video game.  I am clueless on that field; I could never go beyond Tetris. That said, End of Level Boss’ music is a curiously efficient odd mix of stoner rock and subtle progressive rock patterns. I am very surprised this combination works so well; as it could be argued that both sub genres lay at extreme and opposite ends of the spectrum; stoner rock is where the hazy and lazy smoke out relaxed laid back doobie friends are and progressive rock where the anally retentive crazy patterns stiffs prefer to stand erected.    The label puts it into proper perspective when it asserts that End of Level Boss is ‘the missing link between Voivod’s sense for outstanding metal structures and Kyuss’ blend of warm and blastin’ riffs.’

Inside the Difference Engine is the band’s second full-length and jam packs eight songs, most of which are on the long side, usually running about five minutes and frequently going way over that. The guitar tone is quite warm; which gives the band a stoner edge; but there are certain well-oiled mechanics at play that lean their metal towards the progressive side.  “Words Have No Meaning” for instance, is almost circular and robotic in infrastructure, were the guitar less bottom feeding they’d be right up Piggy’s alley.  There is a soul in there, that’s for sure, but the warm and laid back aspects of Kyuss’ trade is absent throughout most songs here. End of Level Boss rocks because they have found a cozy niche where earthly progressive rock marries the most human tones, pitches and patterns of stoner rock. Their possibilities are now pretty endless.

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