Zitat:Review by John Pegoraro (StonerRock.com)
Tortuga Recordings
Release date: February 2, 2008


Its been seven years since Bostons 5ive has released a full-length album. Sure, the band shouted out, “Im not dead yet,” with 2004s Versus EP (later re-released in 2006), but really, they were inactive enough to assume they had faded into retirement.

While calling Hesperus a comeback is a matter of semantics, decreeing it a massive achievement is a no-brainer. 5ive has always excelled at making more with less, creating a swirling tapestry of jam-like psychedelics and doom-heavy riffs with just drums and guitar. Since the band is stripped down to just two members, drummer Charlie Harrold and guitarist Ben Carr know that in order for the songs to work, they have to be locked together, each pushing the other forward. Listen to the way the two play off each other in tracks like “Gulls,” “Big Sea,” and “Polar 78” - theres a wealth of subtle phrasings and no wasted notes. Each one counts as much as the next.

Those familiar with the bands first two albums will note that Hesperus doesnt have that same sludge-thick tone, but it works in the bands favor. As with the excellent Versus EP, 5ive creates a strong sense of dynamics by alternating between propulsive distortion and moody, lighter passages. The reflective “Heel” is one example, but its better to call out “News I” and “News II,” the two tracks that close out Hesperus. In both songs, the band sounds progressively bigger and bigger, piling on layers of sound, to the point where its almost suffocating. And then, just like that, they pull back, giving you a moments breath, before diving back into the controlled chaos again.

Its been too long since weve heard from 5ive, but Hesperus delivers and then some. If you havent heard the band before, youre missing out. Highly recommended.

myhomeismycastle schrieb:Ich weiss nur, dass es psychedelisch repetitiv, maechtig rollend, elektrisierend und rockend ist.