Akimbo are back with a new album, their fifth, and mere months after the reissue of their crucial Harshing Your Mellow debut. And

boy is this a ripper! Ten new jams of burly, crushing rock from one of the best live bands around, encased in a slick package with lots

metallic inks, an album cover depicting a tour van with a Viking sail mounted to the roof and bull horns welded to the hood, chopping through a

violent sea on it's way to deliver earth crushing rock. Throw this puppy on and yer blasted with the bands heaviest shit yet, channeling grungy

noise rock of the Am Rep sort, fierce hardcore moves, Neurosis style dirge riffs. And a HEAVY 70's rock influence. For real. There are riffs on

Navigating The Bronze that could have come off an AC/DC album, like on the bluesy HC charge of "Wizard Van Wizard", at least right

before the band lunges into a monstrous sludge groove. On "Dungeon Bastard", the band breaks through the stormclouds of brutal angular riffing

with a passage of beautiful epic melody. "Roman Coins" is a nearly 3-minute drum solo that sounds like the drummer is playing 2 kits at once,

and it leads straight into the lead-heavy dirge rock of "Lungless". The first time I heard the epic melody of "Megatherium" 's soaring prog

sludge, it took my breath away. It's brutal, ass-shakin' rock from start to end, huge riffs and awesome Angus Young style shredding, gruff

howling vocals, bits of beautiful post-rocky bliss, massive dirgey slow parts and Southern grooves, ripping blasts of speedy hardcore, loads of

catchy hooks, and Nat Damm's awesome drumming. These guys lay the hammer down. Zero bullshit heaviness from one of the best bands in the scene.

Highly recommended.