Following their debut EP and debut LP, Oceans Rise, founding Thinning The Herd vocalist/guitarist Gavin Spielman recruited a new rhythm section in 2012, bringing bassist Wes Edmonds and drummer Rick Cimato (ex-Locked In A Vacancy) on board. The new line-up honed recorded the sophomore album Freedom From The Known at Electrical Audio Studios with studio guru Steven Albini and as they were preparing to release the album, Rick Cimato was tragically killed in a car accident over the 2012 holiday season. Mourning the loss of their friend, Spielman and Edmonds hosted several local listening parties of the album for local fans and friends to honor Rick and his family, and then brought in drummer Garth Macaleavey to execute the new songs live, as Cimato would have wished.
The band sounds especially heavy plowing through some crushing grooves at mid and slower speeds. It's not all slow, though, and little bursts of speed often accompany chop changes. Modern sounding, fuelled by adrenalin and delivering a definite stomp, the riffing is reminiscent of Black Flag/Shellac/Megadeth/Motorhead style groove, and the vocals are the pure agonized screams of Harvey Milk/Fugazi/Totimoshi-origins. “Rabits” and “Path of gold” take the Houdini-era Melvins sound, twist it around their own vocal and musical styles, and wind up with killer songs. The opener “Never wanted” is a hard hitting song filled with crushing breakdowns and a somewhat hardcore structure. “Gaikatt mountain” is a non-vocal piece with a laid back groove and great melodious solos and by far one of my favourites.
If you're tired of average, thirteen in a dozen bands that are all alike, Thinning The Herd is definitely for you.