Boris — Rainbow
Published Feb. 20, 2007
Boris, a veteran Japanese metal trio that released one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the past year in Pink, plays a brand of thick, brooding sludge metal that I won't pretend to know much about. But Pink was one of the surprise crossover hits of 2006, nestling itself between Blur and The Boy Least Likely To on many an indie fans' iTunes.
Why exactly it was that Boris crossed over probably still baffles people who don't "get" the band, but the hypothesis has been thrown around that the embrace of Boris and its metal kin was almost a reaction to the rise of twee in 2005.
I'm not sure if that actually makes sense, being that both Boris and twee have been around for much longer than a year, but regardless, Boris is no longer just a niche band on our shores.
On "Here on Rainbow," members of the band hook up with Japanese psychedelic legend Michio Kurihara and execute a tight, menacing and at times dazzling album of '70s-inspired sludge.
Boris sings exclusively in Japanese, but the language is pretty pleasant to listen to. It lends itself to blithe melodies, but also sounds just as pretty even when Boris' lead singer ominously whispers loudly.
The lazy singing is a nice contrast here because the highlights are the acidic solos. "Here on Rainbow" sets the bar high quickly with an absolutely torrid solo that sounds like someone trying to cut through the Gateway Arch with a chainsaw.
It's incredibly jarring at first, especially if it's your first tango with Boris but after repeated listens it's addictive.
The reason the solo on "Here on Rainbow" doesn't stand out as much as it should is because it's truly just an appetizer of what's to come. "Starship Narrator" follows with a solo that's as admirable for its thrashing as it is its control and technical proficiency.
It also would be a disservice to Boris to just harp on the solos, though they are the main attraction because they're masters at creating atmosphere and changing moods. "Here on Rainbow," if it weren't for that aforementioned solo, would be a beautiful haze of a song — the rightful soundtrack to a dark, smoky room. "My Rain," a short instrumental track, is "Here on Rainbow" at its most delicate, a tapestry of soft, cascading guitar lines, and compact evidence enough that this band shouldn't be pigeonholed by the notion of "metal."
The album strengthens most on its back half with standout "You Laughed Like a Watermark," a seven-minute monster that almost passes for pop, and the near ambient "Fuzzy Reactor."
Following these two is the hard-as-four-brick-walls "Sweet No. 1," a barrage of solo after solo that, if listened to with closed eyes, is legitimately terrifying.
In case you were wondering how Boris wants you to listen to its music, the liner notes of Pink peel apart to resemble acid tabs. With shit like that though, they sell themselves short. And excuse the public service announcement feel here, but with Rainbow, you don't need to be high to get down.
