Shrinebuilder

Shrinebuilder | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Neurot Recordings
• ASIN: B002L132VU
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,166 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2009 release. It's not so much a band name as a statement of intent. Not a one-off supergroup, but rather the first chapter in what promises to be an epic narrative. More to the point, though--Shrinebuilder is the meeting of musical monoliths, the Justice League of underground heaviness: Scott "Wino" Weinrich of Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, and The Hidden Hand on guitar; Al Cisneros of Om and Sleep on bass; Dale Crover of Melvins and Altamont on drums; Scott Kelly of Neurosis on guitar. And all four of them on vocals. With these four living legends in the room, the term "highly anticipated" doesn't even come close.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PERFECT., April 14, 2010

By 

Joseph R. Natoli "UXD Evangelist" (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shrinebuilder [Vinyl] (Vinyl)

The title says it all -- Wino has never sounded this inspired, and Al Cisneros brings amazing depth. The vocal interplay between the two is seamless and never fails. The songwriting is fantastic, and the groove is every bit as mighty as the cover art suggests. The sound is absolutely massive, expansive, imaginative and inspired.

Shrinebuilder [Vinyl]

4.0 out of 5 stars Feels Like 25 MPH While Driving at 80, September 29, 2011

By 

Bookwormwood "JohnnE" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shrinebuilder (Audio CD)

This album has the uncanny ability to make the listener feel like we're only floating along at 25 MPH on a lonely midnight highway while actually cruising along at 80. The album gets better as it hums along effortlessly to the best track on the album, IMO, the awesome finale: Science Of Anger. Then the album unfortunately ends leaving the listener transfixed and wanting more. Somewhere during the fifth track we've careened off a cliff but just don't care as we float back down to earth. The album seems to pick up speed with each track. Solar Benediction is first gear as the band seems to be finding it's footing. Pyramid of the Moon is second gear. Blind For All to See with it's groovy Jefferson Sabbath Doors inflections finds the band slipping comfortably into third. This song is like a snake that slithers into your ear and lays some eggs in your brain to hatch. The Architect pushes the album forward into forth and you can feel the music picking up hypnotic speed. Then we discover the album has a fifth gear with the impressive final track. Buy this album and go for a ride.

I'd like to add that the cryptic lyrics on this fine album are beautiful and really fit with the music. I have no idea what such lines mean to the writer: "As triad cedes to the principle" or "the father emptied him to let the vessel fill". However, I find much personal meaning in such lyrics and that's what makes this album so special to me. Interestingly, the lyrics are almost incomprehensible without the music. They go together hand in glove. The music compliments the words and vice versa. I think others will appreciate the mystical groove of Shrinebuilder as I do. I'm looking forward to more from this fine band.

5.0 out of 5 stars Shrinebuilder, September 26, 2011

By 

Gentlegiantprog "Kingcrimsonprog" (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shrinebuilder (Audio CD)

Shrinebuilder are an exciting super group formed from great and influential artists in the Doom, Sludge and Stoner genres, who play an elaborate mixture of the three styles resulting in an incredibly strong and well formed rock and metal listening experience.

The line up features Scott Kelly on guitar and vocals (Neurosis and frequent and vocal guest to Mastodon) Al Cisneros on bass and vocals (Sleep/Om) Dale Crover on the drums (The Melvins) and finally the legendary and hardworking Scott `Wino' Weinrich on guitar and vocals (Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand and vocal guest to Clutch, Probot and more)

With a line up like that, a whole sub-community of rock and metal fans should be clamoring all over this band. The best thing of all however is that, unlike most super-groups Shrinebuilder actually gel really well as a band and turn in a collaborative feeling record that actually sounds both as good as the sum of its parts and as if it was written together in a room by all the members, rather than just hastily compiled from their own individual songs.

Even with this collaborative feel and distinct Shrinebuilder sound however, each individual member still manage to put their own stylistic stamp on each and every song.

The tracks on their self titled debut studio album from 2009 are all fairly long and explore a mixture of moods, with rumbling bass, fuzzy effects laiden lead guitar and a mixture of vocal styles that range from a classic rock feel to loud sludge style barking, often transitioning seamlessly.

The album is absolutely consistent throughout and all five tracks are exemplary, and would each be a stand out track on anyone else's album. Even the production job is perfect; leaving a remarkable album that can't really be faulted in any serious way. If the band can maintain this standard of quality I really hope to hear more from Shrinebuilder in the future.

In summary, if you like any of the musicians involved in this project or any of the genres from which they come then Shrinebuilder is something that you really ought to check out. Best of all, it all works incredibly well musically and would still be one of the best albums released that year if none of these musicians were famous.