Never Before - Savage
NEVER BEFORE GO VISCERAL ON ‘SAVAGE’
Beijing, China’s doom/stoner/sludge outfit Never Before dropped a new album, entitled Savage, on April 20.
Never Before
The band describes itself as “Just your everyday stoner/doom/sludge band from Beijing, China. Long live the mushroom!” This description is both modest and an understatement because Never Before certainly defies portrayal as an “everyday stoner/doom/sludge band.”
Made up of Alex (vocals), SHO (guitar), Damon (guitar), Liang Audio (bass), and Meng Xiangbo (drums), Never Before recorded the album at Nice Tune Music Studio. Mixing and mastering were performed by Liang Audio.
According to the band Scare The Children, in their interview with Beijing Underground, “We also go way back with Never Before, which is a Stoner Metal band who’s been around for a while and got a real gritty, bad-ass sound with some awesome grooves and hell of catchy riffs.”
And Unite Asia says, “Check out Beijing based stoner sludge metal band Never Before on this fuzzed-out EP entitled Savage. Those goddamn vocals are SOOO GOOD!!! The whole record is packed with epic goodness of insane proportions…from the production – the eeriness in the more dragged out portions of the songs…that earth-shaking bass tone…the juicy riffs and of course – those goddamn vocals.”
With Savage, Never Before strut their talent for bruising music, stellar guitars, and pummeling harmonics full of edgy heft and massive sonic assault.
The title – Savage – is very apt, as Never Before’s sound is raw, grinding, and brutal.
The first track on the album is the title track, opening on deep thumping pulses flowing into thick filaments of growling guitars riding Jovian percussion. Alex’s voice conveys muscular rasps, as well as dazzling melodicism and – hooray! – he eschews the gimmick of cookie monster tones, which simply distract and are the refuge of mediocre vocalists.
“I crossed the vacant burning desert / Been strolling the ruthless frozen land / Staring eye to eye in the mirror / Like the ashen sky on the silver lake.”
My favorite track on the album, immediately disclaimed by adding all five-tracks are excellent, is “Beast Scum Goddamn Motherfucker,” which dishes out pulsating dark dread-filled energy and Thor-like drums, all topped by Alex’s blistering, superb vocals.
With Savage, Never Before strut their talent for bruising music, stellar guitars, and pummeling harmonics full of edgy heft and massive sonic assault.
