Kylesa
Static Tensions

May 2009
Released: 2009, Prosthetic Records
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Mr. Rock

On this their fourth disc (fifth if you count the split disc with C.A.B.), Savannah GA’s Kylesa have created a sludgy, stoner opus, that combines a little of Ministry. Actually, vocalist Philip Cope reminds me a lot of Al Jourgensen on the Ministry tune “Bad Blood”. That, combined with vocalist Laura Pleasants ethereal vocals, help create a unique sound when you hear the sludgy, down-tuned music. The two aspects work well together.



“Scapegoat” is a great tune, as is “Insomnia For Months”, but by about the time “Running Red” (which features Pleasants more predominantly), STATIC TENSIONS starts to suffer a little from ‘sameness’, meaning that all the tunes do seem very similar, and this creates for a little bit of a long listen. Not that all the songs are the same, but they all have the same sound and feel. If you are not into the genre, then you might find it a little difficult to listen to from beginning to end. Stoners are gonna love it though.



All in all, STATIC TENSIONS is a good disc, and there are a lot of gems to be found within it. Kylesa is a tight band, and the musicianship is very good. If you like sludgy stoner metal, Kyuss, and Ministry, then STATIC TENSIONS is definitely the disc for you.