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By JEFF MAKI
The Wales-based trio Taint lives and dies by the riff. And that's the great thing about Secrets and Lies; it's chock full of 'em. Their style is stoner/sludge rock with a hardcore flavor. First impressions bring Helmet, CKY, The Sword and Clutch to mind. There are vocals, most of which are quickly shouted one-liners, and they are basically here to add color to the songs. Taint's best quality is that once they find that one monstrous riff, they drive it into your head until you're infected with it as well. The songs are long--a couple clock in over the seven-minute mark--but 90 percent of that time is spent churning out these heavy grooves and '70s-style rock. It is easy to become immersed and even lost in Taint's giant sound. A band like this isn't worried about airplay or writing short, compact tunes. Secrets and Lies plays out as three dudes entering a studio and jamming for an hour nonstop without a care for the outside world. And the result is that the guitars, in essence, replace any chorus you would regularly find on an album.
Immediate standouts are the infectious opener, “Hex Breaker,” and the catchy “The Idealist.” The album was mixed by Alex Newport, formerly of Fudge Tunnel, and some influences from that band are here in the fuzzy, distorted sound. “What the Crow Saw” sounds like part of the soundtrack to Conan the Barbarian, with a flute (I think it's a flute) backing the ominous mood and feel of droning guitars and psychedelic vocals. Just when you think things are winding down, prepare yourself for more because the album closes with the 23-minute jam “Mass Appeal Sadness.”
Taint makes a strong case for being a band to look out for. The sound is gigantic and not too many bands have adopted this style lately. It's going to take a big break for these guys to get heard, but once they do I think they'll garner a large following. There's no singing or doodling here, just three dudes hellbent on driving you into submission and having a little fun on the way.
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