With past and present members of Aborted and The Devil’s Blood in their ranks you’d be forgiven for thinking that Herder was a mere side-project, but ever since the release of their 2010 demo, Herder Is Harder, the Dutch sludge merchants have evolved to become a formidable beast in their own right.
Their latest opus is a seven-track concept record that tells the tale of the annihilation and total destruction of the world, all seen through the eyes of power-hungry Roman emperors.
Fans of the primal, sonic thuggery peddled by bands such as Crowbar will appreciate the thick, meaty tones of Grand Precipitations and elsewhere, the super-melodic guitar leads of Radiating Silence that tip their cap to Maiden and Lizzy feel like a game-changing moment for the five-piece. Though Fergean could do with an extra couple of tracks and it’s all over too quickly, the monstrous Evasion Of Truth, heaving with labyrinthine riffs and tribal drums, more than makes up for any shortcomings.
