Hailing from the city the never sleeps come…a southern metal band? Stepped in what? Black Water Rising are a group comprised of former members of Dust to Dust, StereoMud and Boiler Room, so I kind of knew what to expect once the disc started playing, but, is that a good thing…or a bad thing?

“The Mirror” opens the record with a swamp buggy southern style swagger that quickly turns into a sludge factory of bottom heavy riffage. Right from the start, you can tell that Black Water Rising draw influence from bands like C.O.C, Dark New Day, Medication (remember that “super group” with Whitfield Crane and Logan Mader…no? Most don’t either) and even Queens of the Stone Age.

Unless you have been living under a rock or just don’t have SIRIUS radio, you would have heard the first single “Brother Go On” by now. The song has been blowing up the satellite charts as it well should. It’s a totally catchy tune that has enough sonic wallop to make you forget that these guys are still unsigned.

If I had just one gripe on the record as a whole, it would be that Traynor’s vocals at certain times veer off in to this almost late 80′s direction that I usually can’t stand. But he quickly reigns it back in and regains the raspy snarl that makes him such a good vocalist.

For those of you that are still in shock that I said they draw from Medication and Queens of the Stone Age…well yes they do…so either be extremely stoked or run for the hills. Songs like “Hate Machine” and “Blessed” have some of those quirky QOTSA and almost punk Medication stylings, but they are interchanged “awesomely” (is that a real word?) with thick southern groove goodness…so it’s a perfect mixture of sweet and salty.

Like I said in the beginning, I may have known what to expect but it was totally a good thing, So grab a beer, put on your sleeveless denim shirt, let your mullet down and get in your Camaro because this cd will rock your trailer park!

3.5/5