Going into a band “blind” for a review is the two-sided coin we critics/celebrants/self-proclaimed journalists flip more and more often these days, as we come to the sobering realization that you simply can’t Hear Everything. Bands pop up on your radar, seemingly out of nowhere, despite having been in existence for sometimes many years prior.

Such is the case with yours truly and THE GRASSHOPPER LIES HEAVY. Helmed by multi-instrumentalist/vocalist James Woodard, and completed by Mario Trejo on bass and drummer Steven Barrera, TGLH has moved over it’s 10+ years from a primarily instrumental outfit to a more “standard” band. After a so-long-it’s-not-an-intro track that manages to hold the attention and give that feeling of a rollercoaster ascending the first big hill on the track, ‘The Act Of Buying Groceries’ plummets us down the other side, jostling the cars against the barriers and your spine out of alignment with noise-skronk ala underrated fellow Texans BRUTAL JUICE, angular as a geometric fractal.

Sound-wise, the lows are upfront in the mix, but this only serves to make the highs more pointed, more wince-inducing (in a good way) when they stab out of the rumble. ‘Tennessee’ takes a cue from those AmRep/Touch And Go/Quarterstick Records days that made the early/mid-‘90s such a freaking blast, a definite groove as the foundation, but barely-restrained chaos all around. Clocking in at just under 5 minutes, and the longest song thus far, it also confirms that the trio can use space and sonics to their advantage over the course of extended time without becoming redundant, especially important in ‘A Cult That Worships A God Of Death’.

A four-part behemoth, a MASTODON-styled beginning (think intro lick to ‘March Of The Fire Ants’) moves into almost shoegaze territory at the quarter-mark, notes hanging in midair as an understated rhythm section swirls circular underneath. A conceptual work in the true sense of the word, the instrumental cycles freely, yet leaves interpretation open, and has clear points where “movement” is born from the next.

It’s becoming more and more rare these days to be able to use the term “forward-thinking” regarding any band, but I have a feeling I’ll be investigating THE GRASSHOPPER LIES HEAVY in more depth. A Cult That Worships A God Of Death is worth your while.
Review By: Lord Randall

THE GRASSHOPPER LIES HEAVY
A Cult That Worships A God Of Death
Learning Curve Records
4 / 6