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Words El Jefe.
Horsehunter play heavy doom. Very. Fucking. Heavy. Sludgy. Doom. They’re a four piece, formed in 2012 and come fully equipped with killer drumming, a huge bass rumble and twin guitar blast that guarantees the message will get through.
The first High On Fire LP comes to mind in some respects when listening to Caged In Flesh, especially the vocals. Those drums too. They have a similar hyperactive, bestial war-drum vibe to High On Fire. It is a relentless and brutal sound, with howling feedback and a bottom of the gut guitar tone that broods, lurches and spits while lumbering around like a mammoth that’s out to destroy anything in its path.
Stoned To Death kicks the LP off, and also showcases the fantastic sounds on the record, and in particular the huge drum sound. Stoned To Death is a monstrous, 16 minute slo-mo earthquake that belies the awesome power of this band.
Title track, Caged In Flesh is both dynamic and bludgeoning, with roaring vocals that sound like sheet steel being ripped apart as the guitars chug and scream, sometimes in unison, and at other times splitting off on a course which is wholly their own. Bassist Himi Stringer has a monolithic tone that perfectly anchors the whole thing to the ground.
Nightfall is a brief and mellow, and slightly haunting guitar piece. Gentle picking and a spacey vibe subtly nudge the listener ever closer to the edge of the precipice.
Witchery is the closer and the nastiest track on the LP. Launching with a biting and precise sounding riff, which grinds its way into a huge buildup, and the muted guitars gradually crank to an open throated roar. This song too, comes in at around 10 minutes and has some great atmospheric interludes thrown in adding to the light and shade.
From beginning to end, Caged In Flesh is a great sludge / doom album. The sound is thick and heavy, with plenty of guts and blood in all the right places. No doubt thanks in part to some skilled and inspired engineering; it also has a great balance of dirt and clarity to get the message through with maximum effectiveness. You only get four songs, but they’re great songs and more than enough to blast you through your lounge room walls and straight into oblivion. Remember this. You have now been warned!