By Jordan Fritz
One year after the release of their debut EP Earthbound, Bison B.C. return with a new collection of music and one sweet record deal. Featuring liner notes in the form of a hideous collage with enough long hair and beards to make anybody rethink their life, Quiet Earth is comprised of eight songs and clocks in at just over 43 minutes. The group, founded by James Farwell of the seminal Vancouver punk band S.T.R.E.E.T.S., took east Vancouver by surprise with their surprisingly fresh take on ’80s thrash, a sound featured on Quiet Earth.
With an emphasis on perfecting the sonic onslaught of their instruments, the album features an admirable amount of sludgy, powerful riffs and should get even the hippest of the hip violently head-banging. That said, the guttural growl and hoarse yell found in these songs dictate some of the most entertaining yet completely nonsensical lyrics this side of the Mars Volta. “The boreal breaks into barren lands / I told them not to trust these Indians,” beckons the aptly named track “Wendigo Pt. 1 (Quest For Fire).” In the song, “These Are My Dress Clothes,” one is simply inspired by the opening lines, “Bodies are burning, your love it ain’t earning / Arms are out reaching, our birth should have stayed in.” Either he speaks of a post-apocalyptic prostitute or this is a pro-choice song for the ages. While certainly not bad musically, the vocals and lyrics on this album leave a lot to be desired if you aren’t using it as a soundtrack for a sick 20-man raid on World of Warcraft. It’s definitely suited for fans of Gwar, Three Inches of Blood or anyone in the mood for some aggressive thrashin’.