Flood by Boris [Review]

Genre: Post-Rock, Drone

Background:

Japanese band "Boris" released this album on December 15th 2000 and shows the many different feelings of this monsoon pouring in, gently letting you float, then making you sink, and lastly letting you drown into 4 different parts.

Here's how I viewed each of those parts after a few listens:

Part 1: The rain starts to settle in. The guitar being played at the beginning with the delay displays this. Along with some drums that personally make you feel like thunder is coming down on you. This part is, for the most part, pretty relaxing; you do feel a sense of dread when the thunder does come down though but part 2 eases those worries away from you.

Part 2: Is described as sort the floaty at peace part. You're afloat on your back while you let the current take you with no worry at all. The beginning of this song does feel a little gloomy with the soft drums playing, then the guitars come in gently. The guitar solo gently pushes you as you feel the cold water on your back, you feel okay as if nothing could ever go wrong and have this transition into part 3 as the solo gets a tad bit heavier.

Part 3: We are still relaxed but in a little bit the distorted guitar slowly creeps in. We know what's going to happen, there's going to be a huge crash and a big wave yet this realization comes slowly. Suddenly the distorted guitar goes away and then the clean guitar stops plays it's riff. The drums come in mixed with the heavy guitar we hear before and the waves crash over us relentlessly. It's apparent we aren't going to make it yet it feels epic. It's like watching a ship getting hit with monster-like waves with lightning flashing in the background all while people sing over what's happening. Things take a slow though and the drums are pulled back, we have this distorted menacing guitar that tells us "Nothing is left here for you, it's too late, you're drowning" repeatedly.

Part 4: We have an end to this distorted guitar and can still hear it but it sounds a little bit underwater. All we have left for us are these repeated guitar strings with a delay that turn into feedback, and slowly play as if it were watching our air bubbles go up. Your last few moments here are being carried down slowly as you drown. As the guitar fades away we have, what sound like, wave going over us and it's the last thing we hear on the album until it's over.

Overall Review:

Personally I think this is one of the best albums ever, it takes the number 2 spot in best albums ever due to the feelings it personally invokes. How it begins and ends is perfect, even with all the repetitiveness this album has it's still a great experience. It's one of those albums you listen to to really feel something and it does a great job at it. You feel excited, scared, hopeful, hopeless, and anything that comes with this feeling of drowning. It's epic and you feel on top of the world during the 3rd part but it quickly gets stripped away as you drown into part 4. I really love the metaphor of drowning being played into 4 separate acts and the display of that in the music. Even if you don't understand what the band is saying, they compose all of these feelings greatly and you're still able  to understand what's happening in the context of the album. I get how it can be boring with all the repetitiveness and parts that don't have a lot of body but it's all apart of the play the band delivers. 

Overall, not for everyone, but if you're into heavy stuff definitely check out the 3rd part. If you want something peaceful then the 1st, 2nd, and 4th parts of the album are definitely for you.