Red Fang ‘Arrows’ Review: Oregonian sludge rockers return with hook-filled release (June 1st, Relapse Records).

Oregonian metallers Red Fang have been hammering away since 2005, bringing their own unique twist to the stoner/doom/sludge genres, from their incendiary self-titled debut, to 2011’s breakout hit Murder The Mountains, to later works like the atmospheric Whales and Leeches, and 2016’s Only Ghosts, which managed to balance ominous riffing with  alternative rock hooks.

The band are back with Arrows (Relapse Records), which sees them further tinkering and refining their bottom heavy sound. And despite boasting 13 tracks, it stays just under 45 minutes, never overstaying its welcome.

After the trippy and eerie brief opener Take It Back, the album kicks into high gear with Unreal Estate which opens with a behind-the-beat shuffle, guttural vocals and lumbering guitar. The stop-start delivery, steamroller bass and sinister vibe recalls sludge-lords Melvins to great effect.

The title track is also the album’s lead single, and it’s a wise choice, veering from a crunching verse to a soaring melodic chorus that makes for one of their most accessible and catchy tunes to date.

The feedback-laden My Disaster makes beauty out of controlled chaos, and show the band in a more fleet-footed mode than their lumbering contemporaries, while Two-High bounces from a narcoleptic intro into a four-on-the-floor jam that recalls the early manic energy of Queens of the Stone Age.

The album grows more experimental the deeper it goes, including Anodyne, whose sinister undertones and unrelenting riff has a slight industrial feel, augmented by hoarse, barking vocals and and dissonant soundscapes, a hallmark of producer Chris Funk’s unique, layered production.

Things really get interesting on the wonderfully titled Fonzi Scheme which starts off in vintage Sabbath mode (with subtle shades of Baroness) and a call and response guitar riff before waves of cello dials up the weirdness and psychedelia.

Another enjoyable aspect of Arrows are the subtle overtones that recall classic 90’s alternative, from the dank and grungy Days Collide to the Helmet/Soundgarden-ish freakout Dr. Owl.

Why switches gears slightly, with a spiraling, serpentine riff that sounds like The House of the Rising Sun on steroids, and has a melodic, classic rock overtone that expands their sonic palette, complete with a gloriously swaggering guitar solo.

Arrows is yet another testament to the musical synergy that Red Fang emanate in drones. Like it’s title, the songs are sharp sonic barbs that will be lodged deep in your ears, only allowed to escape when their next release drops.