Terminal

Bongripper have both pleased and disappointed me over the years, showing that they have the aptitude to make stirring instrumental music and also experimenting with some needless and tedious releases. Terminal sticks closer to the former for me, since the quartet from Chicago play mostly in their hazy doom style, pounding out some big riffs while ensuring that any idiot knows what the band’s attitude is by naming the songs ‘Slow’ and ‘Death’. It’s not the first time that the titles have reflected musical tropes or genres for these guys (anyone remember ’Doom’?) so that initially promises a bit of an adventure.

Occupying around 43 minutes in total, the opening cut takes up more than half of that time, yet the manner of progress is relatively similar, never hurrying between sections. My music streaming service exemplifies that by splitting the tracks into parts, the gaps between which are largely dictated by moments when the tempo shifts or a new riff comes into play. Therefore, some of the release involves sludgy down-tuned - or perhaps 7 or 8 string guitar - riffing that grooves on for quite a span; ‘Slow’ opens in this way and returns to a number of similar riffs in its first half. What Bongripper do better now than back in the old days is to apply texture and progression to other sections, often putting the second guitar to better use than just making the riffs heavier and adding counter-melodies, or what I’d call backing leads - that is, lead parts that don’t receive focus in the mix. Several sections kick off with a fairly unremarkable riff, then by the application of guitar and a few other effects become quite detailed before shedding all their content when the next section commences, often abruptly.

The way I’m listening, a track called ‘Interlude’ appears between the 2 songs, which I believe should belong to the final part of ‘Slow’. It bridges the cuts in creepy minimalist atmosphere, helpfully removing the weight of the rhythms and the bulk of the guitars for a few minutes. Considering that the sonics of the album would otherwise change quite little, that’s extremely useful to refresh the listen. ‘Death’ varies a bit more in pacing than ‘Slow’, just about hitting a speed that other bands might call mid-pace when the percussion picks up after 7-8 minutes and the echoing noise on the guitars turns the feel more chaotic. Conversely, the end of Terminal slows right down almost to drone doom levels, guitar chords chosen for weight and sustain, while cymbal strikes stand out in the freefalling slow-motion. Troubling melody alternates with that monolithic feel, bringing the release to an effective conclusion.

I might like to associate the moods of the music more strongly with some mental imagery seeing as Bongripper play instrumentally, though the band’s own broad names give some vague inspiration if needed. The control of Terminal seems very deliberate and sensible pacing plays a part in its success, allowing the listener to lose themselves in the grooves and the atmospheres and solidify their own notions of what the album is about after several spins.