Bongripper - Sex Tape/Snuff Film

Over the years, since the release of their debut in 2006, Bongripper has never failed to impress and bewilder me, and has never ceased to blow me away with their innovative and extraordinary brand of instrumental doom metal. That being said, when I first began listening to the band’s new two-track EP, 'Sex Tape/Snuff Film', I was doubting whether or not they could maintain this glowing reputation.

The first track, “Sex Tape,” is, naturally, extremely heavy (this IS Bongripper we're talking about). 

However, the stunning experimentation and sheer weirdness for which Bongripper is known for is absent from this track completely, and in its place are boring and repetitious riffs that do little to draw you in. There are some bright, or rather, faintly glowing, moments in this song, like the intense jamming and increased speed in the second half of the song, but even in light of this, there’s still nothing that really holds and engages you. Could it be? Could Bongripper really be turning into another monotonous sludge metal clone? At this point, I was very afraid for the future.

But then, a glimmer of hope came to me from the EP’s second track, “Snuff Film.” And it was far more than a glimmer. This song completely saves the EP from yawn factory that was the first track and, quite frankly, blows me away. The track is consistently and uncompromisingly heavy, with constant shifts in speed, along with infectious melodies and hooks that are perfectly matched by off-kilter and experimental songwriting that makes Bongripper so unique. This track makes the EP more than worth buying in my opinion, and I am very much looking forward to their next full-length.

-Andrew Oliver