This ex-Montreal now-Vancouver stoner metal gaggle show great confidence in kicking their sophomore album off with a powerful riff, a ripping keyboard honk and what I’d consider a passionate vocal delivery. It showcases the rare stoner metal band willing to hone in on their doom metal tendencies while still showing all of their rough and bluesy edges. ‘Grand Rites’ almost certainly drags its ass across its 65 minute playtime but never without a fight. There is an immediate vigor to the album that is unheard of within the deluded world of heavy psych inoculated stoner metal that reeks of old school doom in the best possible way.

If you’re not already familiar with Dead Quiet their first album was similarly harsh and ballsy with a huge, loud production and keyboard doubled guitar melodies. The vocalist is expressive and unafraid to growl out his feelings when he needs to. The sheer headache factor for that first album is still here and the band’s sonic personality is unaffected but the production itself is more balanced and restrained. It still has that sort of ‘Unsane doing stoner doom’ feeling at times but they’ve shifted further towards stoner rock than stoner doom on this second album. If you can imagine Terra Firma‘s ‘Harm’s Way‘ but performed by Snail, you’re on your way to what to expect from Dead Quiet in general.

I can easily see the ‘extreme’ nature of the vocals and the 3 Inches of Blood relation drawing in a lot of fans that’ll be pleased by the stoner metal intensity and the big doom riffs, though many will be put off by the unwavering immensity of sound. Songs like “Moon Curser”, “Corpse Revival” and the bluesy roll of “Dear Demon” don’t stand out as much as they could if the band had eliminated lesser flow-killers like “Disgraced”. The result is, as I alluded to earlier, a record that simply drags on a bit too long and becomes abrasive and predictable. Still, an inspired sound and occasionally great melodic sense keep this as a highly mention-able record this year.

Sleep when you’re dead. 3.25/5.0