Beaten Back to Pure - The Burning South

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Forest: Sold Out
Jul 5, 2003
5,154
13
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Indiana
Beaten Back to Pure – The Burning South
This Dark Reign Recordings – October 14th, 2004
By Jason Jordan

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If the designer of Superjoint Ritual’s albums and the animator of Korn got together, the package would be very similar to Beaten Back to Pure’s The Burning South. Thankfully, though, the music is in no way similar to either aforementioned, overrated band. Still, I could probably manage to survive without this dosage.

“American Vermin” is rambunctious as the most gravelly vocals I’ve ever heard come in. Delivery wise, Ben has a Blood for Blood fixation going on. Groove is of the utmost importance on The Burning South, and it manifests itself on many occasions. “Smothered in Sundress” begins softly with less-than-stellar clean vocalizations. The song quickly sheds the slow pace and opts for solidity, circa the 1:00 minute mark. Surprisingly, “Smothered in Sundress” is inviting and engaging. “Hell Goes Thru Hanging Dog” utilizes a driving riff while phlegm-ridden vocals accompany the instrumental passages. “One Shovel and a Place to Die” retains the light beginning that transcends into heaviness motif. Next up is “Where the Sewer Meets the Sea,” which is a pretty cool title for a song in my opinion. Guitar leads punctuate the space during the first minute, and the main riff is enjoyable. “Pillars of Tomorrow, Piles of Yesterday” is affectionate towards all things gritty, sludgy, and so on. “Vertigo” has nice rhythmical elements in the spine, and – again – the main riff is neither grating nor poorly received. “Running Out of Neck” is the disc’s finale.

Honestly, I can’t envision myself yearning for Beaten Back to Pure that often. That is, I won’t be pulling The Burning South out of the CD rack more than a couple times a year. I suspect that you won’t be either. These guys have a gamut of potential, though. That’s for sure.

7/10

Official Beaten Back to Pure website
Official This Dark Reign Recordings website