CoC : Meatjack - Days of Fire : Review

Meatjack - _Days of Fire_
(At a Loss, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (9 out of 10)

Halfway through the album, I suddenly realized I had seen Meatjack play twice. It's a long while back (2000) when they were touring with Damad, but they left quite an impact on me back then. Not having heard a single thing from them ever since I didn't give them much thought, but with _Days of Fire_ on the shelves I can't resist writing a few words. Meatjack play a style of music that can best be described with the term "vile Neurosis". On _Days of Fire_, you'll find the same densely layered sounds that Neurosis and their offspring (Today Is the Day and Unsane) have adopted quite a while back. However, density does not mean that the instruments blend into another. On the contrary, the well-adjusted mix clearly brings out the best of the individual artists. The haunting vocals especially are of a high level, outraking Steve Austin on his latest Today Is the Day album. Excellent rhythms ("Face Down") only add to the sludgy flow of the album, making _Days of Fire_ feel a hell of a lot longer than the 41 minutes it really is.

Contact: http://www.atalossrecordings.com

(article published 13/12/2003)