TAINT -

TAINT - SECRETS AND LIES - RISE ABOVE  
Taint is on Rise Above Records, but to say that the band is doom metal would be inaccurate. The Welsh band is next to unknown and probably won’t see an upsurge in popularity because of this album but that is not a reflection on the trio’s music. In fact, Secrets And Lies blows one away with its unbridled sheer in-your-faceness. The album begins with the most thunderous riff this side of 1985 before establishing a pattern of loud and sloppy sludge metal on overdrive. The size of these riffs, that focus the bass vibe, cannot be overemphasized. Taint is louder than everything else, but it sometimes sounds as if Voivod and Fudge Tunnel collided in a fiery ball of distortion. The vocals of Jimbob, in particular, have the same punky and desperate vibe as Snake circa 1987 or 1988 on the songs Born Again Nihilist and The Idealist (two redundant titles presumably). Even the hidden track - whose bass sound is phenomenal - and instrumental sections give back ample energy to the universe. This is the type of albums '70s heavy rock bands would have recorded had they retained the fire in the belly and were recording on a good day. - Ali “The Metallian”