What caught my ear about Portland’s Bone Dagger are the vocals and the harmonies. They echo with an Alice in Chains feel and once the bass started, it took me back to a time where grunge reigned supreme.
And I’m not even mad about it.
With their forthcoming EP, The Veil, out on August 18th, the band investigates societal themes with booming bass, vocal harmonies, dirty guitars, and thrashing drums.
Opening track “Filthy Machine” sets the tone with a raw exploration of roles within society and how it seems useless to fight it.
While resistance may be futile, escaping into music is not.
On the The Veil, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, John Lund says,
Am I excited to release this? Numb is probably closer to accurate. I’ve been sitting in these songs for so long, I think the excitement will be determined by whether or not people like it. But it’s done and I feel relieved.
John has cause to be relieved, but he should be excited. The four songs on The Veil not only allow for escape, but also allow to discover music that is reminiscent of 90’s grunge alternative but with a fresh metal-esque twist.
Capturing the quest for enlightenment, “Cycle of the Self” embarks on the musical journey of being born a blank slate and how humans often spend years if not decades trying to erase learned essences and reclaim the blank state of mind. The song is bass heavy, swampy, and gritty with vocals that remind me of early Layne Staley.
A metaphor for a breakup without room for reconciliation, “Hit and Run” is heavy as the subject itself and closing the EP is the title track, “The Veil”.
“The Veil” encompasses everything that Bone Dagger is…infectious vocal harmonies, gritty guitars, sludge heavy bass, and drums that hit at the heart. The song feels as if it’s a blend of Alice in Chains and the highly underrated Gruntruck. It’s furious, raw, and fearlessly attacks the current state of the world.
Not only does The Veil address pressing issues and provide compelling commentary on the current state of Earth, it does so with moving storytelling and skillfull musicianship.
The Veil is out on August 18th.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “The Veil”, “Filthy Machine”, “Cycle of the Self”
FAVOURITE TRACKS: “Filthy Machine”, “The Veil”
