The most remarkable thing about this CD is that it was made by a two piece band, guitar and drums. That's it. This is no experimental jazz combo though, this is a heavy space rock duo. And I want to make sure and emphasize the heavy in that description because this album weighs a ton. For a comparison point of 5ive's music think heavy instrumental tracks on "Welcome to Sky Valley", think early Hawkwind spaced-out jams, think Earth's drone guitar. That pretty much gives you the picture of where this Boston duo fit in the musical spectrum: heavy, spacy, droning. Newcomers will find it easier to digest the enormity and complexity of 5ive if they are introduced with something familiar like vocals. Jonah's vocals really add to the tracks they appear on, both because of his outstanding performance and they seem to give a more accessible identity to the band. Fans of 5ive's experimental drone/space/desert first album need not worry though, there are plenty of cosmic explorations on here too.

My god, this is a totally improved upon release from 5ive and that's a bloody achievment. Taking the heavy experimental stoner doom sound of the first release, adding varied vocals, and a more eclectic approach to the songs. The experimental edge to this has been increased too, making for an altogether more engaging listen. For me this is a much better record and easily one of my favorite experimental stoner/ doom ones ever. The songs are better crafted and therefore longer on average. The basic sound of this is somewhere between the heaviness of Warhorse, the experimentation of Isis and Neurosis, the droning doom of Earth and the groove of stoner rock taken to the next ten levels and beyond. Massive waves of distortion crash over the immense cascades of drumming and the vocals sound tame compared to the heaviosity, yet they work so well. A magnificent and awe inspiring release for fans of Isis, Warhorse etc.

It's clear from the start that 5ive has matured and developed infinitely since their last effort, Self Titled. The core is still driven by noisy layers of guitar with high levels of distortion and excellent percussion holding down rhythms and structure with constant changes. The production is excellent. It's definitely a tad on the muddy side, but it sounds intentional because this is just an impenetrable wall of textures for the most part, so just the right amount of everything seeps through. The band still seems to have a pattern for structuring their songs, but the arrangements here are far stronger within the same general framework. Everything is more effective and have nearly mastered their techniques. Even if their older material didn't quite work for you, this is a wonderful disc. They're very obviously improving with each effort, with the introduction of some great vocals and a bit of bass the most notable gestures here. If the next one tops this it will be a damned masterpiece. Great work.