It’s been a few months since Tiersman’s debut album, Good Grief, came out and I feel like an absolute fool for sleeping on this one.
Comprised of members of Grenaiders and Bronze Chariot, Tiersman are brutal, fast and funny all at the same time.
As an album Good Grief is just over the 20-minute mark; it cuts out the bullshit.
It’s not pretentious or flashy. Instead, it’s an eclectic mix of rock, metal and punk influences that finds its sound more grounded in heavy rock and roll riffs as opposed to drop-d open chord breakdowns; even though the results can at times be quite akin to each other.
Similar to acts like Everytime I Die, The Cancer Bats and Truckfighters; the beauty of using this approach to make heavy music is it’s sonically shattering effects. This can be seen in the form of ‘Wake Up Call’ and ‘BBQ Bos.’
Because the songs are so high tempo, aggressive and raw consistently throughout, when the riffs open up for even a second and then kick back in; the overall result in my eyes is the heaviest sound a band can capture. It’s something many bands try but few execute as well as Tiersman.
On top of that, I want to draw specific mention to the group’s witty larrikin-esque lyrics. It’s rare to find yourself listening to an album that packs so much brooding intensity and yet you can still laugh along to the lyrics. But with lines such as “My dealer had a kid, time for me to quit, onto better things” and “I’ve got more drugs in my bum than an openly enthusiastic festival-goer”, it’s hard not to be embraced by the humorous side of Tiersman.
Overall an absolute banging release that I can’t wait to see live post-isolation.
Check out the album below.
5/5
915769 Records DK
Reviewed by Alex Callan