Subrosa - No Help for the Mighty Ones

While listening to this album, every riff, every minute, every single note the vocalist sings hits me with such velocity that I actually stagger backward a couple steps and require a moment to recollect myself. Subrosa is just supposed to be some stoner metal, right? Then why is it that under the hazy guitar and pedals I can hear what seems to be a horn? Why is there emotion popping out of the notes, this overwhelming feeling trying to explode from my chest - one which I usually only feel while watching a particularly gripping episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit?

I still don't understand it. But one listen of "Stonecarver" and I knew I had to have this album. "No Help for the Mighty Ones" isn't just a stoner metal album. I'm not going to lay in my bed after a quick toke and space out. In fact, I might consider it anything but stoner metal, because during the course, Subrosa demands your attention. "No time for tripping," they tell me, "we have to show you how technical we can get without actually playing technically advanced music."

I don't know a lot about this beasts background, however. They've got three vocalists, and I wish I could tell you definitively which is the female if not all, but as far as I've found using reliable sources, they've all got stage names, which sort of sucks. I did pick up one little funny tidbit though: the members of Subrosa seem to think they sound somewhat - at all - like PJ Harvey. With "Let England Shake" in mind, I can say with confidence that they do not.

Akin to any other album, "No Help for the Mighty Ones" has it's shortcomings. Out of eight tracks, I think I could have done without three minutes of just talking. Granted, these chicks are doing their best to take me back to Salem during the witch trials with all of the themes, crazy manipulations and vocals on all of these songs, but I didn't press play so I could hear them cast spells.

I wish there was more to say about this album. I think it's necessary to note that I was done posting for the day when I listened to this again and thought it so good I should write this post right now and post it as soon as possible, because another second wasted without this up on my blog would have made me cringe. Subrosa's "No Help for the Mighty Ones" is easily my favorite metal release of the year. With harmonies, riffs, violin tacks and - probably horns but maybe synths - sneaking around in the very back of this organized mess, I couldn't ignore a single track here. Whatever you do, though, reader, do not, I repeat: DO NOT miss out on "Stonecarver". It is not a song you trip out to, because if you don't pay attention, it's a song you'll trip on, and miss.

9.4

Listen

EDIT: they are all girls. hot.