review by: The Condor

Hmm. Watchmaker? Not such an apt name for a huge and heavy and nasty almost-metal band, but the album title, Kill.Crush.Destroy., is right on the money. Huge, relentless pummeling noise rock reminiscent of Jesus Lizard and Dazzling Killmen, but upped a notch with black metal riffing, unbelievably ferocious drumming and the howling roar of vocalist Brian Livoti.

This band does those dynamic 'loud/soft' bands one better by just playing loud, sustaining the sort of intensity most bands can only summon once or twice a song. You know that part in a song where everything, guitars, drums, bass, vocals, are all at a fever pitch, roaring and building tension, and everything threatens to breakdown mercifully (and finally) into a quiet or melodic part? Well, somehow, outside of a few purposefully rhythmic and atmospheric bits, Watchmaker manage to explode into that point the second the song begins, and they stay there until the song ends, never letting up, just stretching and stretching, pulling and pulling, threatening to split your skull, from ear to ear. Nice.