End Boss – They Seek My Head (Review)

This is the debut album from New Zealand sludge metal/rock band End Boss.

Featuring the drummer of Beastwars, They Seek My Head contains 33 minutes of sludgy heaviness that is both rough and beautiful. It also has all of the riffs. Sorry, but there’s no more left for anyone else now, End Boss have them all.

The riffs are heavy. The songs are heavy. The band is heavy. What’s not to like? The guitars take the sludge rock modus operandi of beefy-yet-catchy songs, and uses it very well to craft a strong foundation for the music to launch itself from. This approach works well across these eight songs, and They Seek My Head is very easy to get on with.

The songs are well-written and don’t outstay their welcome. Despite their brevity they don’t lack in creativity, and the meaty, confident riffs that form the bedrock of the music are complemented by a variety of nuanced melodic accents and emotive dynamics. End Boss know how to write a good tune, that’s for sure.

The band’s singer is obviously going to be the band’s focal point, but thankfully this is not achieved at the expense of the rest of the music, which holds its own against her impressive voice. Having said that though, her performance is definitely something you should focus on somewhat, as it’s quite stellar. Her voice is rich and characterful, and carries both power and personality. She is occasionally backed up by subtle harmonies and not-so-subtle rough shouts too, both of which work well.

If you want music that is simple and direct, with no filler, plenty of catchiness, and first class vocals, then look no further than this. Ohh, and riffs too. Have I mentioned the riffs yet? THE RIFFS!

Very highly recommended.