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REVIEW – I miss Pantera. Vinnie Paul has given me little to no hope on a Pantera one off gig or album. After listening to the debut EP by Scour, I have to say I cannot wait to see more from this outfit. Phil Anselmo is always looking for ways musically to reinvent himself. If people thought his solo record was different and a radical departure, wait till you hear this EP which I feel was what he originally wanted from Superjoint Ritual. Consisting of members of bands like Decrepit Birth, Pig Destroyer and Cast the Stone, this EP is a bunch of short songs that are to the point and very much drenched in the blackness of metal. The opening track “ Dispatched” showcases that Phil is not experimenting in this sound, he is diving in face first. The black metal feel of this song really showcase that Phil has so much to offer this genre, if he decides to keep going this direction. The band compliment their singer very well. The song has this fast tempo that has this growl to it, that if you did not know it was Phil singing, you would never guess. It also mixes in this sludge like atmosphere and this brutal ear fucking of a band that just does not know how to do anything other than pulverize. “ Clot” is more of the same of the first track. The guitar work on this track really stands out, it is so impressive. It is a headbanger, jump in the pit and mosh your brains out attack. The vocals really showcase that Phil is still an impressive god after 27 plus years. “ Crooked” is another track that is going to win people over. You have this obnoxious pace with this frenetic band who have a vocalist who has so much to showcase.
This track really makes me think that Phil is not the one singing. There is no way, this far into his career, he can pull off these kinds of deliveries. He sounds like a young hungry new artist who wants to prove something, he does not sound like someone who has already proved everything. “ Codes” is a fast little track that keeps the pace going and basically really comes across like the rest of the album so far. The next track “ Tactics” is when things feel different. The band does this instrumental track that is barely 2 minutes long. This track just is an out of control moment that I feel fans will clearly get behind and will pump them up if they choose to play this track before the band hits the stage. The closing track “ Tear Gas” is where the band gives fans something to really take home. It is more melodic than the rest of the album, but it also showcases that this band so much more in its bag of tricks. I am glad to see Phil creating the music he wants to create, and all these side projects to his positive, they all venture into different galaxies. He can be seen almost as the extreme metal version of Devin Townsend. I would put Scour up there with the early Down records as one of Phil’s better side projects. This album is something very special, and if you have not heard it yet, you need to, especially if you are a fan of Pantera. This is just another reason why “ metal is not dead yet”. Not even fucking close.
