Bison B.C.

Spawned from the dissolution of former skate-thrashers S.T.R.E.E.T.S. and inspired by the grandiose, intertwining passages that define the likes of Mastodon and Baroness, Vancouver’s Bison are the simplistic, less technical version of the recent blitzkrieg of epic metal outfits. Taking a slightly calmer and sludgier approach without reducing the beats-per-minute, Earthbound instantly appeals to the groove rocker within, à la High On Fire, albeit without so much doom and gloom, brimstone and fire imagery. Twangy and almost as boogie-laden as Priestess, these six tracks tend to sway into borderline stoner territory, which serves to muddle things up. The hopping between subgenres reveals a band that still hasn’t found their means of stirring the influence pot enough. Thankfully, their spirit and enthusiasm are evident on every track, proving that with time to settle into their new digs, Bison will eventually be as immense as the beast from which they take their name.