Hanging by a Thread

Groove metal is one style that benefits as much or more from style over actual substance. Bands won't win listeners over on technical grounds alone, but fleshed-out compositions with a rocking substrate and loose, jam-esque vibe really add some virility where elsewhere it may come off as a modicum frugal and basic. From Phoenix, Arizona comes Deathgrip, offering their interpretation of thrash-infused groove metal, free of most of the post-Pantera lowbrow posturing, which oftentimes comes off as the musical equivalent of JNCO jeans. Hanging by a Thread's presentation screams more doom metal to me, with the old style font and atmospheric setting depicted on the cover. Within the first minute of "Django" it is clear that these guys have some character, and this instantly puts them above many of their peers.

One thing that this album has is seriously crushing, maelstrom riffage, laced with harried thrash inflection but firmly rooted in pummeling, monolithic Crowbar-esque sludgy, lurching groove. Vocals are more of a '90s throwback, generously radiating antagonistic, neanderthal shouting with occasional clean choruses providing conscious emphasis. The visceral precipitation of cuts like "War Is Hell" offers a droning, brooding alternative to the angsty genre norms, almost sounding like a superior version of Forbidden's Green, replete with layered, alien vocals set amid a storm of half-thrash muscle. Although there may seem to be little room for variation given the template proffered on Hanging by a Thread, Deathgrip have an erm... grip on the nuance required to excel and stand out.

Further positives include Ryan Bell's charismatic performance behind the kit, locking into a neck-jerking swing and tossing in occasional double-bass tangents and other dexterous fare. Production values are solid, especially concerning the guitars, which are corpulent and thick as fuck without sounding muddy or washed out. The pinch harmonics and swinging, rude intonation of the title track add further variety, although it presents some of the vocal imbalances that mar the album. It is safe to say that this isn't for everybody, but Deathgrip never eschew proper riffage in favor of sloppy breakdowns or rote, endless chugging. Don't get me wrong, chugs are omnipresent here, but they work well within the context of the songs and that little extra bit of nuance offered by the skilled drummer (among other things) helps keeps everything punishing on all cylinders.

Some tracks like "Thoughts" are raw sludgy riff monsters redolent of some of Overkill's better groove material like "Stone Cold Jesus" and "Long Time Dyin." The slightly more pressing pace of the thrash-influenced numbers offers a nice balance between both extremes, although some of the singing sections let on a bit too much at times. Overall, this is an appreciably fuzzy record with a shit ton of style and impressive performances across the board. Check these guys out if you are into the rare genre mashup presented within, but I don't think that most metalheads would have a hard time finding something to enjoy on Hanging by a Thread.