Doom Folk Metal? Yes please.
This #FeatureFriday we have the excellent Mean Bone by @buzzarddoomfolk.bsky.social
The first thing that hits you about Buzzard is the absolutely filthy guitar tone. A stack of octave pedals crushing your brain. The second thing is what a good fucking name Buzzard is, I mean fucking cool points or what?
Buzzard is a riff band man. Just killer fuzzy riffs thrown around with wild abandon. Just chewing at the walls. Then there’s the vocal delivery which reminds me Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and Calexico’s Joey Burns.
Musically it calls up comparisons with of Queens of the Stone Age, 16 Horsepower, Calexico and John Murphy. It’s heady mix. Everything just works. The arrangements, the recording, the lyrics. It’s powerful, it’s swampy, it’s dirgy and it’s cool as fuck. Choices made are the right choices. It’s never dull and it’s fun as hell.
The thing is with Buzzard’s musical choices is that it has the effect of evoking lot’s of other artists for me. Which in my world is no bad thing. It’s like when some wine expert is talking about an expensive wine and claims loftily that is has an edge of wood bark, a hint of nutmeg and an after taste of Benson and Hedges. In this case my brain is picking up all the above mentioned artists but I’m getting Stan Ridgeway and Warren Zevon. I mentioned Rob Halford earlier not for his vocal gymnastics but his lyrical style and how he makes sure the structure is more important than his vocal prowess. Elliot has that level of control to his voice bathe never overcooks it. Lyrically again it reminds me of Halford but an Halford heavily influenced by Lovecraft, Nick Cave and tinged with Alice Cooper’s vaudeville style.
In some parts it sonically reminds me of The White Stripes. It has that aura. Throw in slide guitar and banjo and and it just adds and extra layer to the audio landscape. It never overplays it’s hand. Each song has a narrative that just sells the stories and lyrics. It’s very impressive.
I totally recommend this. Go check it out.
This is absolutely one of my favorites of 2025, and it just beautifully, darkly, wonderfully and tragically expresses so much about the world and its horrors!
My favorite track from “Mean Bone?” Ha! Can I be honest and say it’s all of them? Okay, if I have to post one, I’ll go with “Primitive,” but you really should listen to the whole album. It hits hard! And it’s amazing!
In these times, those are not unusual topics for artists but what sets Buzzard apart is the music they chose to express themselves with. While the structure and melodies are not unusual for Folk or Country music, the super heavy distorted bass and guitar are reminiscent of Doom Metal, earning it the Doom Folk label more than almost everything else I have heard. Adding in rather subdued drums (for heavy music), banjo and acoustic guitar brings the music again back to its Folk roots as does Buzzard’s clear singing voice which sits atop the instruments and in the center of the mix.
The effect this combination has is unique. The folky elements provide grounding, allowing the listener to to relax and follow the artists thoughts while the Metal adds an irresistible intensity that expresses strong emotions beyond the lyrics.
Overall, this album is clearly a product of the current zeitgeist. It is pleading, mocking and angry at the same time, feeling important and like a statement of intent. All the different elements work wonderfully together to speak the truth of the artist to a receptive audience. It is one of the most enjoyable and cohesive albums I’ve heard this year, so I can only give this my highest recommendation. It’s simply excellent.
Previously…
The Nirvana Fallacy (or, Mania and Her Sophomore Slump) – Saint Louie
- Shapeshifer by Oblee #FeatureFriday
- Rayguns of Love by The Striped Bananas
- Mean Bone by Buzzard
- Aldona’s Daughter by Stunt Lover
- #FeatureFriday -Bandcamp Friday Issue
- #FeatureFriday – 1991 by Maisie Marra
- “Muay Thai Bag” by Foxcall
- A Place To Go When You Need To Hide by Rose Alaimo
- #FeatureFriday – And the Bones by Dr. Organ
- #FeatureFriday WIENER DEMEANOR by Cheer Captain
- #FeatureFriday – Effusion by Sweet Freeze
- Beginings Revisted by Jim France
- Recording in Progress by Aaron Smith
- Believer, a.k.a. The Last Shall Be the First
- Scrapyard Boyz: Ultra Despair Duo – Grizzly, Slogan
- The Nirvana Fallacy (or, Mania and Her Sophomore Slump) – Saint Louie
- The Cocker Spaniels Are Still Alive, And So Are You
- X by Everything’s a Crime
- Take to The Streets by Eparapo
- Ashenheart – Faded Gold
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