By Jason Wellwood
Greber’s Hometown Heroin is three years in the making and was born out of jam sessions between drummer Steve Vargas (The Great Sabatini) and bassist Marc Bourgon (Fuck The Facts) which began shortly after the death of their band Tugnut (R.I.P.). It’s obvious that the songs come from an absolute love for the music they play (thick, elastic grind with a dose of doom and a smattering of punk) and an enthusiasm for music in general. Right from the ‘Intro’ you can feel that Greber are not going to take you on a normal ride: this is going to be fun, heavy and maybe a little rough on your tender bottom!
While a band comprised of bass and drums only might not be unique, it is still a bit of a novelty in metal. Yes, Marc does play some guitar on the album but it is primarily bass dominating the lead position here, competing for space with Steve’s solid, powerful drumming. Using the guitar, keyboards and some electronics as accent only works very well however the songs could easily stand without them. Nothing is overblown, there is not too much for you to wrap your head around and it all sounds full and intense (even the quieter moments of ‘The Saddest Joke Ever Told’). I have to admit that the Owen Hart clip in ‘Cave Dweller’ brought back some strange memories for me but they fit perfectly within the song. The wonderful feedback of ‘Hometown Heroin’ leads into the upbeat, almost dancier intro to ‘Carriers’ which takes a left turn immediately into something much heavier and darker, then another turn into a little doom, back to something more akin to grind and…well, you get the picture: Greber want to keep you on your toes!
Fans of any of the projects Marc and Steve have been involved in will easily get into what is going on here, but I think it’s also something that someone new to heavier, more experimental metal can get in to. On top of that, these guys obviously care about their art and have put together a fantastic package for the physical disc. I’m pretty sure Marc sweat all over mine specifically…
http://www.myspace.com/grebermetal
(Self-released)
