Album Review: Dust Bolt - Sound & Fury
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
For a band who’ve been going for sixteen years or so, with four acclaimed studio albums under their belt, I find myself asking why I haven’t paid more attention to German thrashers Dust Bolt before now. With their fifth album set for release, this could well be their breakthrough moment, as these new songs refine and noisily redefine the Dust Bolt sound for a new era.
This latest endeavour called 'Sound & Fury' was written during those isolated months of the pandemic, and represents the peak of the bands creativity and a major leap forward. With new bassist Tom Liebing in situ, the songs grew from a long period of self-reflection when the world shut down.
The trademark thrash riffing and scream of “let’s go” from vocalist/guitarist and chief songwriter Lenny Bruce, hails the beginning of opening track 'Leave Nothing Behind' but as the song grows it has a pummelling groove which is ushering in a new sound for the band. 'I Witness' and 'I Am The One' continue along this theme, with both songs having an extremely catchy sound, whilst still maintaining the gritty and heavy sound they are renown for.
Is it simply a band finally realising and then reaching their full potential? Bruce says “It’s a natural evolution, we’ve expanded but we haven’t changed” as they’ve always been labelled as a thrash band which he found restrictive, but this album is still full of skull crushing heavy riffs but it has also allowed Bruce to develop his melodic voice, whilst maintaining his ferocious side.
Armed with a great collection of new songs, including 'Burning Pieces', title track 'Sound and Fury', and 'Love & Reality', they have allowed their new groove powered sound to evolve organically and it will please people when they hear them, as they’ve lost none of their viciousness, but have seemingly thrown off their shackles and delivered what could be a game changing album for them.
Bruce even acknowledges that “this album might sound a little different now and then” a nod to 'Bluedeep' here methinks, as it doesn’t really add anything to the album before they get back to what they are doing best with the pure grooviness of 'Disco Nnection' which has a hint of Rammstein about it, the emotionally charged and tempo changing 'You Make Me Feel (Nothing)', the heaviness of 'Feel The Storm' and all ending with the soft and gentle 'Little Stone'.
Dust Bolt have made an album for themselves and with it, have a newfound sense of purpose, and simply found a better and more life-affirming way to get more heads banging. And with these songs, they have achieved their aim.
