BitterJalapeno What does one expect when checking out new obscure sludge releases? Slow and brooding guitars obscured behind an overly atmospheric soundscape? Think again. Fans of the early 90s New Orleans sludge scene should find themselves pleasantly and nostalgically surprised with this debut album from Hungarian outfit Rural Pitchfork as it harkens back to exactly that with its doomy, bluesy riffs, aggressive, ragingly angry vocals, and deep, powerful production. It occasionally hints at the more progressive sludge wave of the 00s peppered and exhibits some mild elements of stoner metal but is essentially a raw old school (new) sludge album. It's a well-produced affair with enough oomph to let the powerful riffs shine through without being too glossy and is ideal for the material.

Album length can be quite a divisive topic with many feeling that albums with a duration south of 30 minutes cheat them out of listening time. I can empathise with that viewpoint somewhat but would argue that on this release it is entirely appropriate as there is not much variation throughout – one of the main weaknesses of the album. The other significant weakness is the fact it leans so heavily on the guitar and vocal styles of Kirk Windstein that it's pretty much a carbon copy of sludge pioneers Crowbar (coming pretty close to matching Kirk in sheer force of vocal and riff delivery but not coming close to attaining the same level of emotional projection).

Despite a lack of originality, the riffage is seriously meaty so the aforementioned issues don't entirely prevent the album from being a downright raging sludgefeast, showcasing that Rural Pitchfork are a band with great potential but would benefit greatly from developing their sound in a more authentic fashion on future releases.