Elegant and heavy are a combination that very few have done right. Tiger Lily is one of those few. Hailing from Fresno, California, Tiger Lily plays their own brand of sludgy hardcore. Their sound refuses to reserve itself to just that though, as bits of crust, doom and black metal are industriously distributed throughout. The whole EP is one long sinking boom that shudders through you, never relenting until the final second. Annabeth is a monster. This three song masterpiece is one of the best records I’ve heard so far this year. I don’t see Annabeth being shown up anytime soon either. It’s that good, seriously.
Annabeth is a mere three songs, but each packs a wallop that is never under five minutes in length. The music is equal in its rage and thoughtfulness. This is no mere amalgam of screams and heavy riffs, this is a damn special piece of work. Annabeth has a knack for dazzling with tender melodies and delicate string work, only to take you off guard by dropping the sonic equivalent of a meteor on you. “Heaven/Plagues” is aptly titled. A beautiful, feminine chorus opens the song and is allowed to continue for almost a minute before guitar and drums all but destroy any notion of tranquility. “In heaven everything is fine” is roared like a sorrowful curse, letting us know that everything is not so fine here on this gangrene earth. The second track, “Gold Tongue II” makes use of its status as the EP’s longest track by opening with some excellent doom passages before switching speed into deep-tuned hardcore. Roughly the last minute of “Gold Tongue II” borders on shoegaze as its riffs dance circles between thunder claps. “The Devil” opens up on a much gentler note and slowly builds itself with dueling riffs that trudge and wail. Following a wisely inserted quote from The Devil’s Rejects, Annabeth opens its floodgates to drown us in one last maelstrom.
With Annabeth being a product of skillful artists, Tiger Lily is worth keeping both eyes on and I look forward to seeing what else they have in store for us.
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