BIRCH HILL DAM

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Hellride Music review of the Birch Hill Dam CD!

Harm EZine review of the Birch Hill Dam CD!

Pivitol Alliance review of the Birch Hill Dam CD!

BIRCH HILL DAM - This writer was never a fan of Corrosion Of Conformity, liked Kyuss, or actively followed early Soundgarden. As a metal fan, none of those bands counted. Birch Hill Dam could be compared to those groups. However, the quartet from Massachusetts is better, heavier and more upbeat than any and all those bands and deserves a lot. Every song on this demo disc is heavy as lead. The vocals are emotional, yet very powerful. The band is not making variety a prime goal and is incredibly tight. The groove is on, but the power is never shot. A special kudo goes out to the heavy backing and the sound of the bass guitar. One cover version aside, Birch Hill Dam has jam-packed it all with consistently powerful songs, which includes an equally impressive instrumental. This is why these four guys rule. One doesn’t need to be into this style to get into the band. Rather, Birch Hill Dam puts one in the mood for the style and itself. As a bonus to the music, Birch Hill Dam ends the disc with a little sermon on human culture and interpersonal relationships in the USA.
- Anna Tergel - Metallian.com


BIRCH HILL DAM - Birch Hill Dam's indie-release self-titled debut swings with multiple fighting tactics. On a mainstream plane, there's a bit of Nickelback's melodic crunch. But it's heavier than that. Birch Hill Dam also rips in with some of Pantera's groove metal, both in the instrumental punch and flow and in the vocalist's proclivity for the occasional shriek. There's also some meat on the bones in the form of some stoner density wowing around the guitar lines, in the Clutch-esque surlyness of the singing and in some of the overall flux of the music. A cocky (but not obnoxiously arrogant) fusion of contemporary hard rock and outright metal that taps on a spectrum of influences bent into the Dam's own particular vision. It feels familiar but without copycatting. And familiar feels good.
- Kristofer Upjohn - Corazine.com


BIRCH HILL DAM -Rating: 6 stars - I like that Birch Hill Dam used a train on the front cover of their cd, because it really does sum of the feeling of the music they play...it's got that chugga-chugga kinda feel to it! I swear to god, I looked at the song titles & saw "Green Machine" listed & thought to myself, "Holy hell, did they do a Kyuss cover?" I checked the inside credits & sure as sh*t it's a cover of the Kyuss classic...I have no idea how many people even remember Kyuss these days, but that was the band that eventually became Queens of the Stoneage...it's interesting to note that Birch Hill Dam really do that a touch of the stoner rock vibe & they pull it off damn well, but don't lump them in the stoner rock category, because the music they play is a bit more modern sounding for the most part! "Seeding" utilized the cowbell, so the band gets double points for that little fact, besides the fact that the song kicks ass! "Gasoline Fiend" starts off with a car starting & the music is fast, loud & lewd, the way that rock n roll was meant to be...to be quite honest with you, this is the kinda song you could get a speeding ticket listening to because this is the kinda song that makes you wanna push the pedal to the floor & crank it wide open! "Soul Giver" has this amazing groove to it & to be honest with you, I dig the hell out of this band...they have elements of Kyuss, Black Sabbath, Fu Manchu, Led Zeppelin, & the best way to describe their sound is that they are very organic rock n roll that's heavily distorted, gritty, dirty, rough around the edges, & the music on this cd is pure, simple, honest to god rock n roll...no polished pop, no hit singles, no bs., just good hard rock music! The ending of the cd has some weird voice mail message that's god some loser talking trash about the band...it's weird & kinda funny, because the irony is that the band has a cd out & they made a mockery of the loser who made that voice mail!
- Bob Suehs - Rock N Roll Experience


BIRCH HILL DAM - S/T What a feast we got going on. From the acid-dipped guitar strings of Poobah, right to the pulverizing blitzkrieg of metal that is Birch Hill Dam. Riding some mighty fierce riffing, Birch Hill Dam come blasting out of the pits of mountain Kyuss with the might and terror of a rampaging army. And when I say blasting, I mean it. Keeping your head too close to the speakers while "Bed of Nails," plays is akin to holding one ear next to a howitzer cannon. "Seedling," erupts out next, nary a missed beat, disintegrating any grey matter that happens to be left behind. Featuring a freaking gorgeous, fuzzed out guitar tone, the boys beat this one into submission like a Biker gang taking on a card cheat. Pool cues and metal pipes included. "Gasoline Fiend," fires up the 400 hp engine, riding an exhaust of nitro through a speed fest of Viking Skull-esque metal. "Thunderbuns Malone," carries their Kyuss influence to unfettered heights of brutality and aggression. And again, it's all D.I.Y., written, arranged and funded by the boys to feed their insatiable need to pummel the masses into submission. God Bless em.
- Racer - The Ripple Effect


BIRCH HILL DAM – “Birch Hill Dam” CD ’08 (Private, US) – Stoner rock has a lot of arms & tendrils that spread like either a tarantula…or a disease, depending on your perspective, I suppose. Of course, like thousands of guys & dollies, I loved Kyuss and Fu Manchu (still do) but like many genres, have gotten weary over the years, of the countless semi-flaccid sound-a-likes. Of course, there have been some good ‘uns, like Australia’s Datura & now Massachusetts’ BIRCH HILL DAM. The name was the first thing that caught me on this one. I like it: different, geographical, can stand the test of time, not getting dated. And the music deserves it. These 4 guys take the groove of the stoner realm guide it in the direction of a heavy Southern vibe, bringing names like COC and the NOLA scene to mind. Right off the bat, they impress with “Bed Of Nails.” Sure, Joe (bass) & Matt (drums) lay down a mutha of rhythm for Mike’s ragged vox and Sam’s hammering guitar to lash onto and batter the listener. It’s the tempo shift midway through, however, taking things into a pulsing, leaden breakdown that raise this to a higher plain. All along the way, numbers such as “Soul Giver” and “Gasoline Fiend” continue to capitalize on this deft swing of power, all leading up to the patient, mounting 6-minute monster closer, “Dark River.” I’m reminded of the bluesy class and raw emotion, both band-wise and in Mike’s vocals, of another really cool band Sixty Watt Shaman, who rose above the pack to produce some truly excellent and memorable music a few years back. Buy now. 9.0
- Ray - Ray's Realm