The most surprising thing about this Colorado quartet’s 10-track debut album is that it’s their debut album. It’s in cases like these fans and critics alike do en masse double-takes and throw questions like ‘Where did this lot come from?’ out to the ether.
Of course, Colorado locals are probably well aware of the band and their history, but it’s still good to see that even in the internet age, surprises can still be sprung. Dragged Down A Dead End Path oozes with both the confidence and acumen of a band with far more than the two years of experience they claim.
Comparisons have been made to many of the usual suspects: Pig Destroyer-esque grooves, Napalm Death-like riffs, His Hero Is Gone velocities. There’s no denying any of that, but COTV’s ace-in- the-hole is the way they navigate between grind and the slower, swampy sounds more akin to Eyehategod (Bottom Feeder) and even early Mastodon (Abomination). The mixed bag of extreme sounds filtered by their crusty DIY mentality makes this a top-notch dive into a dark sonic world.
