SUNDOWNER - Cesspool

Cesspool sees Sundowner delving further into the mire with an even darker and dirtier effort this time around.

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Opening track The Deep kicks things off with a slow and heavy riff, giving the brutal vocal delivery space to set the scene before kicking the tempo up a notch with a great stoner vibe shining through.

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Golden Skinned Gods builds on that momentum as an early-album highlight, also shifting up tempos throughout which is a pattern that elevates Cesspool across the 40-minute runtime.

Personal highlights are Intoxication Blues and Unwilling Subjects. Both tracks get stuck in my head with great riffs, strong lyrics and (yes, again) those tempo shifts.

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Speaking of tempo shifts, the jolt in the midsection of Bleach Sniffer almost trumps the two aforementioned songs with a glorious sense of urgency that had me reminiscing about the glory of late 80s hardcore.

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Closing track Pond Scum wraps up proceedings perfectly, bringing all those sludge, stoner and punk elements into a brilliant closing chapter.

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Sundowner is firing on all cylinders with Cesspool. The riffs are big and dirty. The rhythm section is locked in and the vocals are beautifully caustic. Yes, I'm clearly a fan.

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That said, I'm keen to experience these songs in a live setting - preferably a small room, with a pint in hand and no noise restrictions. I recommend you join me in the cesspool.

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SCORE 9/10

Reviewed by Steve Nelson