We also received a new review courtesy of Doomantia:

Cortez from Boston are back but not only have they deliver another release; it is a double album at that and it is on beautiful 180 gram vinyl complete with 80′s styled heavy metal artwork. Now the début EP ‘Thunder In A forgotten Town’ was great enough but this début full length is something else again. Not only have they outdone everything that was on the EP but the production, the musicianship and everything else that has gone into this is simply stunning. If you like your rock, mid-tempo, sabbathian, sometimes bluesy, but with many variations so to avoid any chance of boredom setting in; then Cortezare the band for you. The only other album with these kind of tempos that comes close to this is the lastOrange Goblin release but holy pope on a rope, I think Cortez has the Goblin beat. I am not comparing them to Orange Goblin either but in the mid-tempo, riff-rock up your ass stakes, this is about as good as it gets right now in 2012.

This self-titled album is big on fuzz, even bigger on grooves but is jam-packed with different variations both stylistically and in terms of arrangement. In short, this album is a wonder from start to finish. The band is a complete unit with each member delivering a dazzling display of musical excellence but Scott O’Dowd on guitar stands out for his diverse guitar work. Alongside him is Matt Harrington with amazingly charismatic vocals, Jay Furlo who dishes out mountain-sized bass playing and Jeremy Hemond dishing out pulverizing but classy drumming. Song-wise I don’t know where to start. The album right from the start hooks you in with the insanely catchy ‘Johnny’ which is pure energetic hard rock at its most adrenaline fueled. ‘All Hail’ and ‘Until We Die’ mixed funky kind of grooves with doom riffs and enough metallic chug to make any metal-head droll in delight. Even with the dirty vocals of Matt Harrington that are being spat out of the speakers, the band still unleash some infectious melody lines and even the guitar fuzz has a catchy appeal.

Cortez seem to be able to find that middle ground between classic 70′s rock, no-holds barred stoner-metal, doom and grunge while not sounding too derivative of any of these styles. Cortez also don’t play by the stoner-rock rule-book too closely either. ‘Nostrum’ is an acoustic guitar/organ mix that is otherworldly and further showcases the rich musical tapestry that this album seems to be over-flowing with. ‘Ride On’ and another organ-laced track ‘Beyond the Mountain’ both have that timeless quality you don’t hear too much of in rock music these days and note I used the word “rock” as this album goes beyond pigeon hole sub-genres. The band gets psychedelic on‘Wormwood’ while ‘Monolith’ sounds like it could have come from a long-lost Cactus record. The side three portion of the album is flawless but one song really stands out from the pack….‘Satan!’ Woody from THE RIPPLE EFFECT wrote – “If you ever wished “The Tempter” by Trouble wasn’t so damn pro-Jesus, then you’ve got a new favorite song” …….. damn right. This track is a monster cut and one of the albums many major highlights.

This is a close to flawless double album package and even though the last three tracks are demo versions of existing album tracks and are just there to make up the numbers (or so it seems); it doesn’t hurt the album one little bit. By that stage of the album you feel like going back and listening to it all over again anyway. I think the main thing to say here is Cortez are not playing the kind of rock that is going to change the way anyone thinks about music; it is hardly ground-breaking stuff but there is no denying that this is just perfect for what it is and that is good enough as far as I am concerned. A complete band, a complete album – this is a stunning full length début from Cortez.…9.5/10.

We have also added some new photos from last month’s show at Radio courtesy of Nicole Tammaro. Check them out here.

Cortez is a Boston based 4 piece that recently released their first full length. Fuck me running. This album is impressive; from the amazing guitar shredding, monster drums and bass, amazing vocals, and a production sound that keeps it all nice and tight. I’m jealous of the Boston area motherfuckers that get to see these guys play live on a regular basis. Kick ass heavy rock and roll doom. Period.

This self titled album opens with “Johnny”, a catchy tune that thumps and pumps the adrenaline. Growly and bluesy vocals. “All Hail” comes in a little heavier and stronger. Which seems impossible after the first track. Know I am cracking a beer and head nodding…fiercely! “Until We Die” is doom heavy and fuzzy as squirrel nuts. Another great rock tune that dips into some cool psychedelic space rock.

“Ride On” sounds like it should. Rolling drums with a fuzzed out guitar that says lets smoke this bag, drink this case of beer and roll down the highway…good times will happen. Big sound with booty shaking beats that conjure up images of a night I can’t remember. But wish I could. “Wormwood” and “Nostrum” both strip it down and keeps the rock rolling.

“Beyond the Mountain” rings with the never dated sound of organs underlining bold vocals and thick ass tunes. And what rock and roll band with doom in their blood wouldn’t sing about the dark lord, “Satan.” Doom and heavy and meaty. The album ends (unfortunately) with straight up doom laden “Northlander” and heavy rock shredding “Nice Try”.

“So don’t fuck with me, in fact fuck you all” is the best line from the album that sums it up. Cortez is here to stomp around and scream. They will play dirty and loud. They will shred and lull you into a dark corner of your mind. They play insanely great heavy rock and roll doom that can not, nor will not be denied. This is one of best from 2012.

MOOD:DOOM

Cortez, a band from Boston, has been around for a considerable time, playing in venues throughout the Boston area, while venturing out on more than one occasion to surrounding states, all the while honing their sound, attracting an ever growing following of fans, and gaining a reputation as a group that would put on a show worthy of attending, a show laden with heavy, loud, and unbelievable guitar work, driving drums, and fast, boisterous bass riffs, all accentuated with sonorous, powerful vocals.

Cortez consists of 4 members who handle the 4 main duties of classic, heavy rock. Jay Furlo deftly thumps out the bass work, while performing double duty on backing vocals. The drums are expertly handled by Jeremy Hemond, while guitars are masterfully rendered by Scott O’Dowd, as Matt Harrington belts out his high octane vocals. Together they are able to create a sound that is at once unique and refreshing, while being somewhat derivative of the very best rock of the seventies and nineties.

While it may be unusual for a debut album from a relatively obscure band to sound so incredibly professional and artistically rich, some of it must be down to the amount of time the members of Cortez have spent together playing to crowds and audiences who most likely offered immediate and insightful feedback. Whatever the contributing factors, it all worked well, allowing this group of gifted fuzz merchants to attain a high degree of accomplishment in the most important areas of what makes up a great rock album.

Always the first part on any heavy rock compilation will be the guitar work. Scott O’Dowd has on this record done a tremendous job of playing with dexterity, laying down the main, fuzzed out riffs while cranking out ‘through the roof’ solos, setting a perfect level of distortion, playing often to a slower tempo that lends itself to the powerful sound of stoner rock on many of the selections, while increasing the pace on others, often displaying that great high desert sound, or cranking out more traditional power chords when required. Through ten of the eleven songs Scott stamps his unmistakable quality on the guitar work, providing those songs with the meaty, masterful, mind blowing sounds that goes the longest distance for setting the tone of how Cortez will quite probably be known. The one exception is “Nostrum”, which foregoes Scott’s masterful guitar for a guest spot on the Hammond organ by Chris ‘Cropduster’ Coughlin.

Cortez does not disappoint when it comes to the level of quality from the drumwork by Jeremy and the massive bass of Jay, both of whom do not hide in the background with tepid renditions of the required rhythm, nor do they try to overplay the vocals and solos, but instead provide a great balance to the songs by playing with skill and passion, keeping the almost tribal tempo of these powerful and evocative songs flowing at the perfect pace.

A rare and unusual part of this band are the vocals provided by Matt, who has a very gifted set of pipes that lend themselves perfectly to the sound generated by Cortez. Matt is able to incorporate his voice into the makeup and flow of the music, making it an integral, key aspect to the wonderful sound. Not only does he display a range in his ability to sing up and down the scale, but he also knows how to do so. Often, this area can be diminished in accomplishment, robustness, or capability, but Cortez does not lack in this regard, delivering crisp, clear, soulful vocal sounds that creates a crowning achievement to the music.

“It’s my honor to premiere the first studio-recorded audio from Cortez in five years. They hand-picked the song “Johnny,” which opens the album, and I probably would have chosen the same one, since it’s a case of the band rocking at their unpretentious best on a song that’s as well-performed as it is immediately memorable. In other words, I dig it and I hope you do too.”

-H.P. Taskmaster

Cortez’s previous album, “Thunder In A Forgotten Town”, was released in 2007 via Belgium’s Buzzville Records.

In other news, the long overdue self titled Cortez album is on it’s way shortly. We have struck a deal to have it released on double LP! We will have some more details for everyone soon.