Indian's Guiltless, the band's first offering on Relapse Records, isn't a particularly easy album to dive into. The dense soundscapes, brutal atmosphere, and sheer inaccessibility can make for a difficult first few listens. Even after plenty of repeated spins, Guiltless still can come across as a harsh album - those crazy vocals from Dylan O'Toole are definitely difficult to get used to. I can't say I was too impressed by Guiltless (mainly due to its lack of memorable hooks and variation), but it's still highly recommendable to people who enjoy more extreme forms of doom/sludge metal.
The music on Guiltless mainly consists of extra-distorted heavy and doomy riffs, energetic drumming, and crazy screamed/growled vocals. I do certainly have to applaud Indian for having discovered their own sound and coming across as quite original. Unfortunately, the main setback the of album lies in the department of "memorable compositions". Guiltless is so focused on utter filth and disgust that it leaves a very small mark once it's over - I have a great time while listening to the album, but I have a tough time picking out more than a riff or two once the running time is over. Maybe Guiltless demands more spins than I've dedicated to it - this certainly is an inaccessible album, so it would definitely take an adventurous listener to really understand the release. I'd definitely encourage any fan of filthy sludge/doom metal to take up that challenge!
Despite my subjective gripes with Guiltless, it is still a high-quality product that unquestionably will attract a large fanbase. The irresistibly raw production, strong musicianship, and great atmosphere outweigh the sub-par compositions in the end. Indian's fourth full-length outing may not frequent my listening schedule in the future, but it's still worthy of a solid 2.5 - 3 star rating. Bands with this much raw energy are just a lot of fun to listen to, regardless of the "beef" behind the compositions. I have a feeling these guys would be great fun to experience in a live setting.
Track Listing:
1. Guiltless (8:00)
2. The Fate Before Fate (4:52)
3. Guilty (4:28)
4. The End of Truth (5:28)
5. Supplicants (2:26)
6. Banality (9:03)
7. No Grace (6:39)
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