Really interesting backstory to this record. Kitchener trio Sierra has put out a 22-minute, one-song concept album about a murder that happened in their backyard in the early 70’s, and the dude who was wrongfully accused. (Turns out he’s one of their bros, or something.)
72 starts off with some slow-rolling stoner grooves, setting a lighter tone initially before a wave of guitars comes crashing in briefly. From there, we get a sparse, guitar-driven passage that leads to some killer instro breakdowns. There are brief flourishes of some 70’s style rock here, before moving on to some stripped-down, acoustic guitar passages as the first vocal comes in on a jazzy note. We get a heavy-hitting bridge with hints of Neurosis and System of a Down, before it’s back to another mellow verse with jazzy bass accents. One forlorn passage has hints of what sounds like a music-box melody, adding a Goblinesque feel to the proceedings. Another mellow interlude has shades of “Spirit Caravan.” And it ends on a big, operatic, arena-rock chorus a la Dream Theater that’ll have you reaching for those lighters.
In spite of the year it’s named after, this record sounds more like a 90’s vintage, a cross between grunge, alternative and stoner rock. And as far as murder-inspired opuses go, it’s no Sinister Slaughter or Thy Kingdom Scum. But still, it’s not a bad effort.
Read the rest of Sierra – 72 on Hellbound.ca.