The Budos Band: V Vinyl LP on Sale

As menacing and unhinged as ever. The Staten Island 9-piece collective gets heavy with hard rock riffs on its 5th studio album, V. 2014 s Burnt Offering paired proto-metal with The Budos Band s groove-focused instrumental Afrobeat DNA. For this follow-up, the brooding, fuzz-fueled riffs lead the charge, as made very clear in the opener Old Engine Oil. The sound is raw and gritty, as powerful horn stabs, rumbling basslines, and most importantly, the Ethiopian-inspired rhythms and percussive proclivity help drive the 10-tracker along. Check out The Enchanter, Arcane Rambler, and especially Valley of the Damned, a perfectly executed delight that captures the band s fluid integration of deep funk, Afro-soul, jazz, and hard rock.