Band: Rabbits
Title: Lower Forms
Label: Relapse Records
Distribution: Rough Trade
Release date: February 15th 2011
Review: CD

Rabbits hail from Portland, Oregon, and consists of former members of e.g. Angel Hair, Lion Fever and Pleasure Forever. 2006 saw the light of a 7”EP (Sloth Vs. Bees) and a split with fellow citymen of Under Mountains, both of them through Eolian, and in 2007 the band self-released a live-album (Live @ KPSU). Last year, the trio recorded a very strong mini-album, called Hide, also released through Eolian, and now, finally, the band recorded a studio full length, which lasts for more than forty minutes.
What the members (Joshua ‘Booze’ Hughes-v, g / Seth ‘Sethro’ Montfort-v, g / Kevin ‘KG’ Garrison-d) bring is a unique form of ultra-heavy Sludge. This is the kind of Sludge Relapse Records are known for lately (indeed, the more intense yet more interesting kind), yet injected with lots of own elements. Rabbits’ dirty and rough Sludge is interspersed with elements from Punk, Hardcore and Sleaze Rock at the one hand, and Doom / Doom-Death at the other (the latter without the death grunts, which are replaced by a deep-shouted and growling / howling throat).
The songs contain the necessary ingredients: low-tuned guitars and a dragging rhythm, a rather grim and dense atmosphere, a raw production and groovy song structures. The album combines traditional elements with modern and innovative ones, the tempo varies a lot, and even the artwork is above average.
Consider it a perfect symbiosis of Pelican, The Exploited, Celtic Frost, High On Fire, Grief, Neurosis and Discharge.

83/100

Ivan Tibos.