ALBUM REVIEW: Botfly – “Botfly”

By: Mark Tremblay


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 22/09/2017

Label: Gluttony Gang

Botfly are one of the best things in Canadian Heavy music, with arguably a sleeper in the discussion of record of the year.

“Botfly“ DD//LP track listing:

1). Disjointed

2). Melancholy in Real Time

3). Yellow Bike Road

4). Man’s Best Friend

5). Back Tracked

6). Day in my Life

7). Code Name

8). Gutless

The Review:

East coast hardcore/sludge purveyors Botfly return with their second release of the year. Botfly has slowly morphed from KEN mode worship, to embracing a wide range of elements ranging from punk all the way to indie rock.

The album is broken into two halves; the first half embracing more punk elements, and the second being much more dark and atmospheric. The opening tracks “Disjointed” and “Melancholy in Real Time” employ major keys and melodies that are both disjointed and comforting all at the same time. “Yellow Bike Road”comes out of the gate with a super catchy-yet-heavy riff, and emploes vocal techniques not previously used by the band.

The listener is transitioned into the darker half of the record with “Man’s Best Friend” featuring walls of static and haunting vocals. It is one of the most moving tracks on the record. “Back Tracked” features some “Watch Out” era Alexisonfire influence before swinging into hardcore that bleeds into “Day in my Life”. The sludge is brought into the fray with “Code Name”. Full of heavy hitting riffs reminiscent of material found on “Hatch”. The album quietly segues out on “Gutless”, a dark ambient folk track that is the perfect ending to this record.

Botflyare one of the best things in Canadian Heavy music, with arguably a sleeper in the discussion of record of the year.

“Botfly” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook