There’s no tea party we’re going to when the Boston band Cortez plays up to dance. The quintet sometimes plays hard rock with a bit of doom influences, but mostly it is hard rock of the more traditional kind. The songs have a good tempo and are suitably long when the five are really released. Cortez is definitely a good band and their third album is a good proof of that. I like the voice of vocalist Matt Harrington. There are some songs that stand out a little extra and one of them is the rocker “Look At You”. If you want a record with a party factor and also a little heavier beats, then this is it.
4/5
-Anders Oddsberg
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translated from Flemish: Cortez, an American quintet from the Boston area, is on their third full album with “Sell the Future”. After the EP “Thunder In A Forgotten Town” (2007) it was a five year wait for the full-album debut. That finally came in 2012 with the self-titled album. Another five years later, in 2017, the sequel was ready: “The Depths Below”. This time the fans don’t have to wait five years for a sequel, because here is the quintet with “Sell The Future”. We really can’t describe the sound of Cortez better than they do in the promo insert: “… With the precision of heavy metal, the soul of classic rock, and the unbridled attitude of a band who care less about your expectations than they do about writing kick-ass, drive-fast, dynamic, hugely-grooved, hugely melodic and expansive tunes,… ”. We then use the terms heavy metal and classic rock from that. But whatever box you want to push the band into, we are already impressed by this third full-album. “No Escape” kicks off “Sell The Future” in style. The energy and drive of this track almost make our speakers melt, while the sound is powerful thanks to the high tempo, the extremely clock-steady base of the bass and drums, the mighty riffs, the very powerful yet quite smooth vocals and the beautiful guitar violence with which the band takes a break. We already feel that we are leaving for a fantastic musical trip. The title track follows and here the gentlemen – Matt Harrington (vocals), Scott O’Dowd (guitar), Alasdair Swan (guitar), Jay Furlo (bass, backing vocals) and Alexei Rodriguez (drums) – clearly slow down. But what they lose in momentum is made up for immensely by adding extra power and a lot of threat. After all, the lingering of doom is invariably lurking around the corner. This threatening force is also discussed during the once again more energetic and driven ‘Look At You’. How the gentlemen pound it nicely during ‘Faulty Authors’, a song in which they play with more powerful and softer sounding fragments, with more uptempo parts and with slightly slower passages, with groovy elements and with very nice guitar work. “Deceivers” opens somewhat hesitantly, but soon the gentlemen find each other and push the song forward powerfully and firmly. “Sharpen The Spear” is the next piece of powerful, yet melodic-sounding violence that we witness. We continue to notice that Matt’s vocals are more in tune with what we are used to with powerful classic rock bands, while purely musically with Cortez it may tend to tend towards traditional heavy metal. But you will definitely not hear us complain, because the next pounding and powerful piece of musical violence can already be heard through the speakers. “Vanishing Point” has once again become a very driven and energetic sounding track with flashy guitar work in the break, while the tempo is nicely maintained by the bass and drums. The gentlemen close down a lot more quietly with ringing guitar playing and beautiful vocals that get an extra dose of power just in time when the drums are allowed to play. Again the powerful, slightly raw sounding vocals stand out in a positive way, while we are also very charmed by this structure of this song that gets an injection of tempo a little over halfway through. Now don’t ask us to choose which track we would like to favorite on this album, because we don’t really have one. We certainly did not discover a slightly lesser track. “Sell The Future” by Cortez is really successful all along the line, so that fans of the (sub) genre do not have to doubt: they can go straight to the record store to buy this album. It will be a more than worthy addition to the collection.
Cortez’s latest is a ripper from start to finish and you should’ve already pre-ordered your copy. That’s it. That’s the review. If it only it were that simple, right?
But I digress.
Recorded by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios, Cortez is back with a third heaping helping of all things RAWK with Sell The Future. Setting the bar beyond our earthly atmosphere on their latest, the Boston-based quintet head for the stars on a record that’s beautiful, boisterous, and bold.
“No Escape” immediately sets the tone as this massive mammer jammer of a Rawk anthem lays it all on the line, jumpin’ and jivin’ and eliciting uncontrollable booty shakin’ thanks to the dual shreddin’ from Alasdair Swan and Scott O’Dowd as Jay Furlo’s bass and Alexei Rodriguez’s drums providing rhythmic fortitude with Matt Harrington’s croon acting like the cherry on top of this sonic sundae.
“Sell the Future” is a six and a half minute stomper that’s like Corrosion Of Conformity (Circa Blind) bombast mixed with Alice In Chains moodiness while “Faulty Authors” is trippy, treading between a heady mindtrip and a masterful riff monster.
“Look At You” celebrates all things RAWK and is an ode to so many Desert Rawk legends that came before (Outings by a variety of John Garcia-fronted outfits come to mind) with Rodriguez’s drumming spectacularly bringing the song to another level with bombastic backbeats setting a heavy tone throughout as O’Dowd and Swan just rip.
“Deceivers” gallantly gallops along with Harrington lettin’ loose vocally and bringing a gripping Soul to his enthusiastic delivery backed by the unholy power of Swan and O’Dowd. Changing the pace ever so slightly, “Sharpen The Spear” is soaked in Sabbathian and Maiden-esque beauty (Think the Dio years mixed with Number of the Beast) as Cortez conjure up yet another unforgettable anthem on album number three.
“Vanishing Point” is just guitar-fueled heaven. Remember how Kyuss used to present these gargantuan walls of sound on their records where you could barely discern Josh Homme’s guitars from Nick Oliveri or Scott Reeder’s bass? That’s “Vanishing Point” in a nutshell. Wrapping it all up with the behemothian “Beyond”, Cortez enlist Set Fire’s Jess Collins for some ethereal back up vox before the track goes off the rails for one final showdown to showcase the Rawk!
Sell The Future is out on October 23rd through Ripple Music (With Salt of the Earth handling CD’s). Get your vinyl here, your CD’s here, and your digital/streaming by clicking here. For the latest on Cortez, head to their fine social media sites by clicking here, here, or here.
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Boston riff rockers CORTEZ unleash new song “Faulty Authors” off ‘Sell The Future’ album, out soon on Ripple Music and Salt Of The Earth!
Boston riff rock purveyors CORTEZ take no prisoner with their brand new single taken from their hot metal’n’roll album ‘Sell The Future’, coming out October 23rd on Ripple Music and Salt Of The Earth Records. Unleash the power of “Faulty Authors” exclusively via Riff Relevant!
“As a whole, the music of Cortez gathers the peak phrasing from the essential promises that several heavy music genres offer, and fuses them in such hauntingly distinctive ways that you can’t simply coin it as catchy melodies or memorable riffs. The compositions of each individual song are their own passionate union of ruthlessly shattering rhythms and crossfire guitar work that enhance rather than compete, with the vocals draped across the top of it all to sway with almost heartbreaking emotional range.” enthuse Riff Relevant.
Get metal’n’roll with new song “Faulty Authors” HERE
With the precision of heavy metal, the soul of classic rock, and the unbridled attitude of a band who care less about your expectations than they do about writing kick-ass, drive-fast, dynamic, hugely-grooved, hugely melodic and expansive tunes, CORTEZ arrive at their third album with a well-earned sense of freedom in their approach. It isn’t about what style they play or the genre niche you want to fit them in — it’s about the crawling sleek of the title-track “Sell The Future”, the crash of drums in “Sharpen the Spear” and the urgency of songs like opener “No Escape” and “Look at You”. The album was recorded and engineered by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studio.
Do you like music? Do you enjoy doing good things? Do yourself a favor and do your good deed for the day and download this compilation. It features a new song from us, as well as tunes from many other excellent bands. The proceeds are going to buy hats, gloves, and socks for unhoused people in Boston.
Ripple Music Have you heard the new Cortez song, ‘Faulty Authors’? It’s just another glimpse into their rad new record, “Sell The Future”! Watch this teaser, then go hear it in full on your favorite streaming platform!
The Boston, Massachusetts heavily stoner rock / metal quintet CORTEZ recently announced their upcoming third album ‘Sell The Future,‘ due out later this month on Ripple Music. Today seems an ideal day to unshackle their new single, “Faulty Authors.“
This latest track is the third to be set free of its current confinement within this album’s absurdly gratifying full play-through. With release date set for October 23rd, ‘Sell the Future‘ is eight beautifully structured, melodic songs packed with a level of barely contained rage that would border on frightening if it weren’t the year 2020.
Songwriting has never been turf that CORTEZ lacked any traction in, be it their first EP in 2007, their 2012 full-length debut ‘Cortez,’ the 7″ Split with Borracho in 2014 (where I arrived unfashionably late to the Cortez party), 2017’s sophomore album ‘The Depths Below,’ or their most recent ‘Chapter 9‘ split release with Wasted Theory for Ripple Music‘s ‘Second Coming Of Heavy’ series.
The upcoming album ‘Sell The Future,‘ with its starkly beautiful cover art by Timur Khabirov, was recorded and engineered by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios and features some guest vocals by Jess Collins (of Set Fire / Mellow Bravo). The album is a furious expression of motivated dissent.
As a whole, the music of CORTEZ gathers the peak phrasings from the essential promises that several heavy music genres offer – the clarity of classic hard rock, the weighted darkness of doom metal, and the iridescence of heavy stoner psych – and fuses them in such hauntingly distinctive ways that you can’t simply coin it as catchy melodies or memorable riffs. The compositions of each individual song are their own passionate union of ruthlessly shattering rhythms and crossfire guitar work that enhance rather than compete, with the vocals draped across the top of it all to sway with almost heartbreaking emotional range.
The five-man crew of vocalist Matt Harrington, guitarists Scott O’Dowd and Alasdair Swan, bassist and backing vocalist Jay Furlo, and drummer Alexei Rodriguez barely allow you an inhale to prepare before immediately generating galloping fist-throws in album opener “No Escape,” then take the pace down with a seamless flow into the despairingly agitated wailing of “Sell The Future” and back straight upright into the breakneck craze of “Look At You.“
Both the title track “Sell The Future” and the first single “Look At You” are streaming via Bandcamp below. I’ll refrain from any specific take on the second half of the record and leave it all to your listening pleasure upon release later this month, but suffice to say it’s as much of a repeater as the first half. The final song, “Beyond,” being especially poignant.
Cover artwork by: Timur Khabirov Tracklist: 01. No Escape 02. Sell The Future 03. Look At You 04. Faulty Authors 05. Deceivers 06. Sharpen The Spear 07. Vanishing Point 08. Beyond With the unbridled attitude of a band who care less about your expectations than they do about writing kick-ass, drive-fast, dynamic, hugely-grooved, hugely melodic, and expansive tunes, CORTEZ arrive at their third album with a well-earned sense of freedom in their approach. It isn’t about what style they play or the genre niche you want to fit them in — the future is fast, the future is sharp, and the future has already been sold, baby, so you missed your shot. Better luck next time. CORTEZ have always embodied an underdog spirit, and now have pushed themselves even further with ‘Sell the Future.‘ Whatever the days ahead might bring, they stand ready. October 23rd brings this release from Ripple Music and is available to order in the following formats: – Rare Test Press vinyl – Worldwide Edition Classic Black Vinyl LP – Limited Edition Colored Vinyl LP (150 copies) – CD (via Salt Of The Earth Records) – Digital download and streaming VINYL: Ripple Music – North America | Europe CD: Salt Of The Earth Records Webstore CORTEZ: Matt Harrington – Vocals Scott O’Dowd – Guitar Alasdair Swan – Guitar Jay Furlo – Bass, Vocals Alexei Rodriguez – Drums Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website | Spotify | YouTube | Bandcamp
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Hour of the Riff is back with Episode 191, and so are Big Scenic Nowhere with the epic title track from their 3rd release of 2020, Lavender Blues. We’ve also got new music from Dead Now, Acid Mess and Cortez. Don’t delay. Press play.
You know the drill by now. If you like what you hear, please support the bands and labels. They all need it.
Thanks for listening, JP
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