Trees — Freed Of This Flesh

Trees are a metal band from Portland Oregon that's much talked about, although not much is known about them.  The press release on this album absurdly attempts to describe their music in the usual over-the-top heavy metal terms.

Anyhow, Trees certainly do hold the Japanese band Corrupted with high regard, as this does sound very similar; the same kind of slow, minimalist, overdistorted power-chords.  The vocals are just as gruff as any current form of underground HM doing the rounds, except without being too overwrought or silly.  (These days I just get sick of the usual hoarse, throaty BM vocals.)  The only thing that lets this release down is probably the monochromatic production, not to mention both these tracks only add up to a half-hour -- one just wishes there were more.  I really like the ambient feedback-drone that starts off the second track "Ashes", though...

This a a good sophomore offering by an up-in-coming metal band that could be going somewhere.  Would like to see if they develop some more originality and better production later on...