Ogre - (2014) The Last Neanderthal

I've spent many hours going backwards, looking towards the future when I could, again, sit down and take another journey with Ogre. Plague of the Planet was one of the best, if not the best recording of 2008 (for those of you who don’t have it, get it). They delivered on all levels with that album – quite simply it was a perfect piece of music. Fast forward six years, and here I am listening to the new release by Ogre. Pissed off, as I was when they decided to call it quits, imagine, to my surprise when I read that they were back together, and getting a new album ready, and what an album it is.

Where the last album was the introduction of the future to come, through the telling of a story, and musically slower, we don’t get that here. Is this bad? Certainly not. The band does a great job of mixing things up. From blistering paced heavy rockers to chemically induced (in my head) doom laden monsters, many times a fierce combination of both. Musically it is quite brilliant in parts, almost prog like, slowed down, then total chaos. There is no doubt they keep you thinking and quite interested throughout the album, as one is never sure what direction they will take a song. In particular the second half of this album just splits the mind apart. I can’t help but think this is some of the best music they have ever laid down on tape. Soulless Woman, Warpath (absolutely devastating), White Plume Mountain (I’m a sucker for a nice interlude) and finally The Hermit. Often dreaming of drifting through space, in a world inside my head, I've looked for that soundtrack that would ease my journey. The Hermit does just that. An absolute epic of a song. 

Ogre are back, and once again delivering the goods. Easily one of the best releases I've had the luxury of hearing this year. You would be sorry if you missed out on this album. Do yourself, your friends, everyone a favor and grab this album. You will not be disappointed. Doom, stoner rock, 70s hard rock, prog… it has it all. Fucking brilliant!  -Will Bissonette