Lifer – Black Mountain Rising
Lifer
Black Mountain Rising
Released September 5th 2015
Metal
Released via House Of Doom Records
Well, some of us have been waiting quite a while for the follow up to Lifer’s 2011 debut full-length, Cursing Them Out, and the Welsh lads have answered that call with a flaming uppercut straight out of Streetfighter. If you hadn’t heard of them before, their name, shared with that of a track by a certain New Orleans super-group, could well have you expecting riffed-up, heavy blues metal. And you’d be absolutely right!
There’s definitely more than a hint of NOLA involved here, with pummelling, addictive riffs, Sabbath worship, and wah-wah solos pouring out of every sweaty gland. Black Mountain Rising, however, has the added character of a rock and roll vibe, possibly hinted at in the title’s similarity to a line in Clutch’s The Swollen Goat. As is often the case with UK metal bands, though, Lifer churn out at slightly grittier, dirtier sound than their predecessors.
Where this release differs most from Cursing… is the way in which the above mentioned R’N’R’ has replaced much of the original hard-core element of their sound. That really is just another way of infusing a bit of punk ethic to the massive, overarching metal components. Naturally, this second opus enjoys a bigger production, making it easier for the hard edge of their non-metal influences to come through, so nothing is lost in terms aggression at all.
Hugely enjoyable, and stacked with groove and attitude, this is set to be yet another icon of UK sludge oriented music in 2015. Stood next to Diesel King’s Concrete Burial, there’s currently some formidable output in that particular corner of the metal scene. To think it started off looking like the year of British thrash. Maybe it can be both. One thing’s for sure; Lifer have unleashed a beast in Black Mountain Rising. If you like to party loud and heavy, you need this in your life!
4.5/5
Paul Macmillan
Valkyrian Music 
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