In the doom metal/stoner rock/sludge field, worshiping and adoring
Black Sabbath are not only a popular thing to do -- they are almost obligatory. In many cases, the
Sabbath influence has more to do with the riffs than vocals; a doom or stoner band that offers
Sabbath-influenced riffs may have a vocalist who doesn't sound anything at all like
Ozzy Osbourne. But on
Sheavy's
Republic?,
Sabbath affects the playing, the writing, and the singing; the Canadians' riffs and songs have a major
Sabbath influence, and
Steve Hennessy's lead vocals are so
Osbourne-like that his detractors have often argued, "Instead of emulating
the Oz, why don't you develop your own vocal style?" But as
Sabbath-obsessed as
Republic? is, it would be a mistake to dismiss
Sheavy as an exact replica of '70s-era
Sabbath. Sure, these headbangers have spent a lot of time listening to
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,
Paranoid, and
Master of Reality -- there's no getting around that fact. But
Republic? has a sludginess that you won't find on
Sabbath's classic '70s recordings -- a sludginess that owes something to
the Melvins as well as grunge (which, of course, was greatly affected by
the Melvins -- a band that had a huge impact on
Nirvana,
Alice in Chains,
Soundgarden, and many other Seattle bands of the late '80s and early '90s). And
Republic?, in fact, was produced by someone with very strong sludge credentials:
Billy Anderson, who is known for his work with
the Melvins and
Orange Goblin. Under
Anderson's direction,
Sheavy deliver an album that won't win any awards for being groundbreaking or terribly original but is enjoyable nonetheless.
Anderson is a definite asset for
Sheavy on this derivative but worthwhile doom/stoner/sludge outing.