WARKRIME
Get Loose
(No Way)

AMORPHIS
Silent Waters
(Nuclear Blast)

GODHEADSCOPE
A City Out of Sight
(God is Myth)

TUSK
The Resisting Dreamer
(Tortuga)

HYPNOS 69/MONKEY 3
Split
(Rock n Roll Radio)

GENOCIDE
Apocalyptic Visions 

(Van)

HAVOC UNIT
h.IV+

(Vendlus)

MORE REVIEWS

Tusk will undoubtedly be better known for containing three fourths of Pelican, a highly praised band with a latest recording (City of Echoes) that was a tad above fucking disappointing. So heavy was the ball that album dropped it raised the question as to whether the band’s previous recording (The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw) was nothing more than a fortunate and lengthy lucky strike. Anyway, Tusk  was originally formed in 1998 and with a couple of previous releases (a split EP a with Hewhocorrupts and 2002’s Get Ready), The Resisting Dreamer sees new members Evan Patterson (Young Widows) and Toby Driver (Kayo Dot) handling dual vocal duties.  That said, the distance between Tusk and Pelican is lengthy, albeit not impossible or unwalkable. For most of its duration The Resisting Dreamer is an instrumental album; the main difference being that while Pelican was meditative and beautiful, Tusk is heavy and a downright ugly duckling.

The guitars, much like in Pelican, have a killer tone and they are flexed and bent in all sorts of abusive manners. This is done slowly, as to morbidly execrate pain from each bloody lick.  “Cold Twisted Aisle” the seven minute second track of this four-songer, is prime example of what Tusk is about; too high to be doom, and too discordant to be traditional metal, the song insists on stubborn notes only to find solace in pure noise and feedback.  Driver and Patterson go apeshit for a couple of minutes right before the song loses itself and all traces of melody and decent construction. I’d be lying if I said this was a bad album, but I’d be full of shit if I said I wasn’t expecting something more. Those killer guitar tones could have given a lot more. “Life’s Denial” is great; trebly, loud, distorted; it’ll have you running in all directions. Lost, you won’t know whether to run from it or for it.

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