Stonecutters – Stonecutters EP
Self-released – 2005
By Jason Jordan
I detest leaving my Y2K bunker but, once I discovered that
Stonecutters had released an EP, I had to hightail it out of there and pick it up. Brian Omer – a former member of
My Own Victim – has something special on his hands with
Stonecutters EP, and I can’t help but glorify this release even though there are some issues that need addressing if the group are aspiring for perfection.
Don’t fret if you never liked
My Own Victim: I never did either and I’m taken with
Stonecutters. As far as the material goes, the EP has four tracks total, but one of those is live. The charismatic “Death of Me” opens the floodgates with guitar work that arguably draws influence from
Mastodon. Omer’s vocals, however, are quite a different story. Mostly, he audibly scatters the lyrics with a mushmouthed approach, which tends to be unique and subsequently enthralling. Acquired taste? I wouldn’t
disagree, though one should always allow some time for acclimation. “Mother of Sorrows” is much more sludgy than its peers, and I can envision select Louisianans having affected the songwriters in
Stonecutters. “Karstlands” commences with a humorous soundclip pertaining to Kentucky (from where the group hails) and, if nothing else, check out the mouthwatering groove at the 3:27 mark of the former. Excellent, I say. The seventeen-minute EP concludes after “Lay Your Burdens Down (Live from Uncle P’s)” closes up shop. For the most part, the live setting proves to be favorable towards Omer and friends. Also, the vox are more upfront than on any of the recorded compositions, which will probably alter your opinion about what position you like the vocalizations to occupy in the overall mix.
Stonecutters EP is an unabashed, guitar-oriented EP that is awash in songwriting smarts.
Stonecutters aren’t an average, everyday kind of band, and lamentably their output, thus far, isn’t as easy to come by as I’d like it to be. Nevertheless, this will be a sturdy springboard for their next release. I shall watch with interest.
8/10
UltimateMetal’s Unsigned Spotlight with Stonecutters
Official Stonecutters MySpace Website
Official Stonecutters Website
