ADMIRAL BROWNING — Battle Stations (review)

ADMIRAL BROWNING — Battle Stations album cover Album · 2011 · Stoner Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
J-Man
The third full-length outing from Admiral Browning is certainly one of the more interesting instrumental metal efforts I've heard this year. Rather than playing along with the hordes of shred-inspired instrumental acts, this Maryland-based trio takes the best of stoner metal, doom metal, and sludge metal and adds a touch of post rock that sets them apart from most bands on the scene. Battle Stations is an album with a raw, unpolished atmosphere and enough quality riffs to satisfy any fan of solid and meaty guitar playing. I'd still like to see a bit more variation and diversity in Admiral Browning's sound, but their overall sense of originality easily makes this one of the better instrumental metal albums this year has to offer.

Although there are quite a few times where you could point to the music on Battle Stations and claim that it's simply "stoner metal without a vocalist", the intricate riffs and impressive guitar solos immediately prove that Admiral Browning are not just concerned with writing repetitive doom-laden riffs. The post rock-influenced "One Lucky Canary" and the almost Middle Eastern-tinged "Interlude" also differentiate these guys substantially from other instrumental stoner acts. Admiral Browning are also very capable musicians who know a thing or two about writing quality instrumental tracks. Although I will admit that a few sections on Battle Stations do feel too repetitive, most of the riffs here are highly memorable and the fantastic solos from Matt LeGrow keep things interesting throughout the album's duration. I would've liked a few more post rock sections - something that Admiral Browning does exceptionally well - as well as a more polished production, but neither are major issues when looking at the big picture. By and large, Battle Stations is a high-quality and highly recommendable effort.

Admiral Browning have really impressed with this album, and I can safely say that I'll be keeping a close eye on them in the coming years. Even though Battle Stations may not be flawless, it shows a great willingness to experiment - and that immediately gives any act my respect. With slightly more coherent song structures and a more professional production, this band's next outing may really be something special. As far as Battle Stations is concerned, I'd say a recommendable 3.5 stars are well-deserved. Those who enjoy instrumental metal free of clichés should find plenty to love here.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

The Goblin Sessions Heavy Metal
THEM
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tormenta De Arena Metalcore
VORAGO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Infinite Metalcore
FUTURE GHOST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Heretic Melodic Death Metal
SUNCINDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Skull Burned Wearing Hell Like A Life Vest As The Night Wept Mathcore
FRONTIERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

OPETH`S Epic Headline Show at Bloodstock 2024 | YouTube Premiere | Full Set | August 9th, 2024
OPETH
666sharon666· 2 hours ago
Opeth '§4' Visualizer/Lyrics Video
OPETH
666sharon666· 2 hours ago
Future Ghost - Wolves (Official Music Video)
FUTURE GHOST
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Future Ghost - Nemesis Game (Official Music Video)
FUTURE GHOST
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Harrowed TwentyTenVideo
HARROWED
Bosh66· 3 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed