COLISEUM
No Salvation
(Relapse)

TERHEN
Eyes Unfolded
(Firebox)

OXBOW
The Narcotic Story
(Hydra Head)

THESE ARE:
Scare Tactics
(Hold True)

TOMAHAWK
Anonymous
(Ipecac)

CAPITAL
Homefront 

(Revelation)

GET BACK UP
Weathering the Storm

(Organized Crime)

MORE REVIEWS

Mr Johnson may be headed to a place where not many are exactly welcomed. The sort of place where bad shit happens. The place where one inadverdently ends up taking the starring role. To get there, you have to descend, so the expressive, hushed, suppressed, mumbled vocals of Eugene Robinson have little to do in the way of telling a straight story. But the story is told; The Narcotic Story is in fact quite blunt in its ‘take you there’ feeling. Each one of the nine cuts contained here – including the 0:42 long intro “Mr. Johnson” sounds like a moving chapter, an ever evolving setting that may be taking place in reality or inside a body, a head to be more precise. A trippy and unequivocal transfixion through six minute songs of exorcising vocals, yelping guitars that constantly segue into bitter, obscure and bitter passages.

One thing you have to give to Oxbow is how ambitious and how sincere they are. For a band going for this scope, and to cover such range while purposely limiting themselves in their choices of instruments Oxbow simply seems to be playing their cards with a short sleeve on. “She’s a Find” has orchestration and it’s quite gorgeous; but contrary to what most experimental bands do, Oxbow pulls back and uses all the instruments with a purpose in mind. Their usage is never overplayed or overexposed, and more importantly the band strikes all the right chords. There is much in the way of feeling transmittal here. The album’s title indicates a bigger purpose, that of a linear story throughout the album, but fortunately for those with a short attention span, The Narcotic Story also works in slices. 

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