Birch Hill Dam
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Birch Hill Dam

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"Birch Hill Dam Demo Review 2007"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Birch Hill Dam – Demo 2007 (Self-Release) By Jay Snyder August 22, 2007 Man, I was really in the mood for something like this. 5 tracks of straight-up, no bullshit, soulful, stoner rock hymns on this demo from this 4 piece out of Massachusetts. They hover nicely in an area between Kyuss, Corrosion of Conformity and Only Living Witness. Layers of heavy, guitar/bass fuzz delve deep into the cosmos and bring back only the finest in thick, booty shaking riffs that are still timeless when done right. They are a bit southern-fried as well and this adds some nice fluctuation in the style of riffs used. The vocalist has also got a mean set of pipes that delivers the lyrics with strong emphasis and conviction that easily separates him from the pack. The no frills groove of opener “Seeding” is impossible to deny as their overall musical agenda is laid out from the very first note. The licks are literally on fire and they put good use to their wah pedal and cowbell to make their rhythmic boogie even stronger. “Seeding” has got a classic riff for sure and it is a great preview of things to come on the rest of the EP. Seriously, this track swings in a very fine OLW meets Kyuss vein with great, melodic vocals soaring over the bottom heavy groove. “Soul Giver” is a dust-kicking, southern jam that is chock full of powerful riffs that smack you in the face and get you tapping your toes right out of the opening gate. This track leads you right into the raging “Gasoline Fiend” that has a slightly faster tempo and a bit more metallic riffing than anything else on the album which is showcased tastefully by the balls out riff that opens the track up. It is nice to see Birch Hill Dam throwing good variety into a formula that could easily go awry in the hands of lesser song-writing abilities. They decide to continue experimenting with their sound on the final two tracks, “Dark River” and “Searching for Mercy”. “Dark River” has a tripped out, psychedelic intro that eventually descends into another mountain moving groove that the band seems to be able to pull off with ease, time and time again throughout this demo. “Searching for Mercy” brings in a bit of the desert rock sound into the mix for a great and uplifting closing track. This song builds nicely in the beginning with melodic, guitar fuzz droning underneath the batter of the drums. This intro culminates with an explosion into a kingly riff that rides the song out until its very end. I’m impressed all around here. These songs have power and even though these guys are walking a well-treaded path they’ve got an iron handed grasp on what makes stuff like this so damn good. This is a great demo to crank when you are tearing rubber down the highway; the windows down and the summer sun blazing in the sky…the whole nine yards. I hope these guys continue writing new songs and get a larger release ready. These songs have got the groove and the soul. If you dig stuff like OLW, COC, Kyuss and Sunnshine then Birch Hill Dam should be a perfect match for you. I can’t wait to see where they go next. Visit the Birch Hill Dam website at www.myspace.com/birchhilldam - Jay Snyder


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Birch Hill Dam Demo 2007

Full Length OUT NOW!!!! Order it through www.myspace.com/birchhilldam for only $8 shipped.

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Birch Hill Dam is best described as “Good, Old-Fashioned, Beer Drinkin’, heavy rock and roll”. Their unique sound is a varied mix spawning from the beginning of heaviness the likes of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, & Led Zeppelin, and the beginning of stoner - Kyuss, Fu Manchu, & Corrosion of Conformity. The 4 piece which hails from Central Massachusetts delivers a straight forward, fuzzed out, blend of rock & metal that is sure to get your fists ready to pump, and your feet ready to stomp. This music style remains evident within all five tracks of their demo cd, which was recorded early 2007.

The initial idea for the group came from months of deliberation between Barrett & Nygard, who were looking to start playing music again. They had set out on a mission to fill the rhythm section with like minded musicians – and that’s where Joe and John came into the picture. After a brief jam session the two new they had found a good match. The newly created foursome was able to put together some quality heart pounding music and began playing in small local clubs. They quickly developed a following and in no time at all were invited to perform larger venues such as The Middle East Downstairs and The Living Room with other well known acts such as Seemless, Genuflect, Haloburn, Frozen, Kanerko, Blitzkid, and Trashlight Vision. In late 07 thier drummer John left the band to focus more on his personal life. In steps Matt Neely. A seasoned drummer who is no stranger to playing live for many years with such great acts as Rattle Battle and Headed For The Smoke. Playing to nearly almost sold out crowds in Cambridge, Worcester, and Providence they are ready to destroy every stage they hit! With a new member and a new drive there's no telling where this will go. Music driven with passion from the heart and a desire to push it as far as it will go. There's no stopping this train of good 'ol heavy rock 'n' roll!