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7つの地獄
（原題 : SEVEN HELLS）
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■Ogre
- Seven Hells
Review by John Pegoraro (StonerRock.com)
Leafhound Records
Release date: Summer 2006
Portland, Maine may not be that teeming of a metropolis,
but it certainly has its fair share of quality bands,
each one providing their own definitive spin on heavy
music. Coming from the classic rock/early doom side
of things is Ogre, and as Seven Hells attests, theyve
got a keen grasp on how to lay down the righteous.
Following the blueprint established on Dawn of the Proto-Man
, their 2003 debut, this three-piece comes across as
half Cactus, half Pentagram, and fronted by Bon Scotts
third or fourth cousin. While its easiest to pigeonhole
em in the doom category, their tendency to let loose
and jam makes them more than just doom. Take Dogmen
(of Planet Earth) for instance. There are more awesome
grooves in that one song than most bands can muster
up on an entire album, culminating with a sweet solo
by guitarist Ross Markonish.
Hes not the only one who gets to shine on Seven Hells
. On Woman on Fire, the second best tune on the album,
bassist/vocalist Ed Cunninghams bluesy bass line drives
the song and on Sperm Whale, the band as a whole takes
turns in the spotlight, including drummer Will Broadbent.
Yeah, thats right. Theres a motherfucking drum solo.
That sort of self-indulgence can be tough to pull off
without seeming, well, self-indulgent, but with Ogre,
it just sounds natural, like something youd expect to
find on a live Deep Purple record (the goofy machine
gun fire at the start of "Soldier of Misfortune"
is another story).
Throw in a cover of Pentagrams Review Your Choices (done
with reverence, which should please the purists) and
youve got the makings of a winner. If you missed out
on Ogre with Dawn of the Proto-Man , dont make the same
mistake twice. And for Gods sake, if they come to your
town, see em live, because thats where theyll really
tear you a new one.
■OGRE - "Seven Hells", 2006 ( Leaf Hound Records
)
The Proto-men return with outstanding results.
Them that think Maine is all about crabapple coves,
lobster fishing, and moose calls best think again. "Seven
Hells", the second sonic platter from Maine's most
savage metal beast, OGRE, has finally been unleashed
upon the world. And this outing, the thunderous vibrations
are sure to shake trees and houses all the way to the
southern shores.
OGRE really "gets it", musically speaking.
Two distinctive traits of the very greatest heavy rumble-rock
from the 70s are largely missing from most of today's
heavy music. First, bands like SABBATH, BUDGIE and CACTUS
had a knack for writing and performing very distinctive,
tube-amp driven epics with lots of tempo changes and
air guitar moments. Second and perhaps more important,
bands like these always sounded like they were having
a ball dishing the stuff out. They had a sense of humor,
and an honest love for blues-based jams. Think about
Lemmy's dark, humorous wise cracks that take an hour
to figure out. Think about Burke Shelley's hilarious
between-song banter that you've heard on the live BUDGIE
boots or a grinning stoned Ozzy from...well, any time
period. These guys weren't making science projects for
chrissake! The tunes cracked your ribs with savage analog
fuzz, and the bands had a blast playing them. OGRE has
found a way to tap into this seasoned approach to heaviness.
It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it.
The first song is called "Dogmen". Whether
they had us in mind or not, I'm still compelled to say,
"Aww shucks". The lengthy opus "Soldier
of Misfortune" moves from CHURCH OF MISERY crawl
to an uptempo crescendo that recalls "Hand of Doom"
musically and "War Pigs" lyrically. Ed Cunningham
continues to amaze us with his ability to move from
Bon Scott snarl to Messiah Marcolin wail in the blink
of an eye. The clever instrumental entitled "Sperm
Whale" sounds like a genuine lost outtake from
HUMBLE PIE's "Rockin' the Fillmore" crossed
with ZEP's "Moby Dick", complete with drum
solo. Cunningham manages to coax out warm, buttery bass
tones throughout the entire affair, but they particularly
shine during the PENTAGRAM cover, "Review Your
Choices". This band has all the best qualities
of the classic power trios, but somehow the finished
product has a "plus one" component in its
richness and depth.
There are maybe ten bands in heavy rock right now that
can lumber along a crawling doom riff or blistering
uptempo jam with as much heartfelt gusto as OGRE. These
guys have spent a lifetime studying the good stuff and
"Seven Hells" is a by-product of the journey
that is as invigorating as it is essential.
4.5 out of 5 Peacedogman
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