From www.concreteweb.be:
Band : Husky
Album Title : The Sea King
Label : Self Release
Distributor :
Release Date : March 2008
Review : CD
With 8 tracks inspired by 35007, Kinski, Allman Bros, Mogwai, Tortoise and Ry Cooder this North Carolina trio Husky provide a damn good album. The sound of the music ranges from ambient trippy to steadily driving, but it keeps the same atmospheric, eerie-soundtrack quality throughout. Beautiful and endearing.
The songs range in length from around one minute with off we go track “Drunkard” to 11-minutes with my favorite track “Aboard the relic” But The Sea King shouldbe listened to as a whole, for indeed, it is a concept album, revolving around the largest vessel ever built in Maine ‘the Sea King’. The opening wash of the waves, the bell and the organs, guitars coming up in the background would sweep the listener away on a wonderful journey around the globe. “Flagship” is a masterpiece of psychedelic drone, guitars and electronic effects merging into a potent whole creating a natural high. With a pounding beat and throbbing electronics, “Mayans vs martians” is scorching. “Aboard the relic” and “Red right returning” is a turn for the heavier with meatier licks and a thicker rhythm section that has bit more rage and muscle to them, “Trading on high seas” is however, a very smooth ride, metamorphosing slowly over its nine minute length with tremendous subtlety. It's a hypnotic and soothing piece..”Leeward and easy” is the last track. Four minutes of slow, lazy blues groove with windecho laid over the top. The fuzz guitars kick-in and it all goes a bit Monkey 3, and our sea voyage is drawing to a close now as ‘the Sea King’ sunk in a bad storm.
Using a flow of music that resembles the ebbs and tides of the shores the sea king anchored during its 40-year service, the wash of music is constantly shifting throughout the album,I suppose what Husky excels best at would be tasteful, simple, expressive songwriting that doesn't include any wasted notes.
With its flawless musicianship and emotional delivery, this album is a winner all the way.
95/100
Cosmicmasseur.
From Sea of Tranquility:
Husky - The Sea King
Few bands are as appropriately named as North Carolina's instrumental trio Husky. With an epic sound that's doomy, hypnotic and spacious — guitarist Phil Strickland has learned a thing or two from listening to The Edge — these three guys move well beyond the drone in which so many of their peers find themselves mired. In fact, once you realize that Husky's second album, The Sea King, is based loosely on the story of a 273-foot-long cargo ship of the same name — the largest vessel ever built in Bowdoinham, Maine, according to the band — the music makes a lot of sense. The disc opens with the clanging guitar and sense of adventure that is "The Drunkard," signifying the ship's maiden voyage. It journeys through fat fuzz, psychedelic drone, hazy shades of blues and ambient storms before concluding with "Leeward and Easy," an expansive, alternately violent and melancholy piece that represents the ship's demise in the spring of 1917 as it sank in the New York Harbor with a load of coal. Freeform and foreboding, moody and monumental, the music of Husky deserves to be heard beyond its niche audience.
Added: January 30th 2009
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score: 4 1/2 Stars out of 5
from Progression Magazine Issue #55 (Fall/Winter 08):
Husky - The Sea King
2008 (CD, 51:31)
Style: Instrumental Post Progressive Blues
Husky is an instrumental trio from Charlotte, NC that adheres to a muscular brand of stoner rock incorporating garage, grunge, blues and post-rock influences into atmospheric soundscapes that challenge conventional song structures.
Inspired by the story of the largest vessel ever built in Bowdoinham, Maine, The Sea King is evocative of a creaky, old workhorse of a ship, proudly pushing against the ocean currents. The music has an expansive quality, marshaling swirling psychedelic jams with heavy doses of melodic fuzz: It's Mudhoney gone prog.
Phil Strickland's echoing guitar at times sounds like a bad hangover, while bassist Mark Hadden and drummer Nate Wilkinson hypnotically pound away at the subconscious. These compositions seem to flow into each other, creating a tidal wave of emotion that crests in the heavy blues once favored by bands like Blue Cheer or the MC5.
Prog purists may find Husky's 10-minute epics lacking in complexity, but listeners who enjoy atmospheric, blues-soaked improvs are sure to find plenty here to groove with. -- Mark Newman
Sound: 3 stars out of 4
Composition: 3 stars out of 4
Musicianship: 3 stars out of 4
Performance: 3 stars out of 4
Total: 12 stars out of 16
from Hellride Music:
Husky – The Sea King (Self-Release)
By Jay Snyder
October 23, 2008
I’m going to lay this one right on the line. The Sea King is the best instrumental disc you’re going to hear all year…period. Charlotte, NC’s magical trio Husky return with their stunning follow-up to their first opus Circle the Wagons. Tranquil, oceanic bliss turns to rolling waves of thunder all throughout The Sea King.
When you talk about records creating a mood or a feel this album is the place to go. You really get the feeling that you’re floating the high seas on a doomed trade ship and the eerie sensation permeates every note, bluesy guitar lick and measured beat contained on the album.
I was a big fan of the band’s debut but on a recent afternoon spent with that album (on a better stereo); the drum sound was so far in the background that I could barely make out a single hit. The problem is fixed on this record as Nate Wilkinson’s steadfast pacing is as central to the band’s sound as a crow’s nest was in protecting a ship from impending disaster. He sounds like he recorded his parts in the same room as the rest of the guys. On Circle the Wagons it felt like Phil Strickland (guitar, keys) and Mark Hadden (bass) got their groove on upstairs and left Nate somewhere in a dank basement to hit with all his might and never be heard. To make a long story short; Nate gets to showcase his stuff here and add his own subtle touches to a record full of moody, weather-worn gems that smolder akin to embers in a dying fire. Not much attack element here just thick, atmospheric jamming that pushes all the right buttons with me.
“The Drunkard” sets the tone for our voyage’s dawn departure. Goods are loaded, the anchors weighed and calming waves of southern distortion wash over the senses, giving the image of Dylan Carson aimlessly wandering the south; lost amongst the finest riffage to be found below the Mason-Dixon Line. Don’t let the subtlety fool you as the voyage turns rocky in the wake of the keyboard driven, psychedelic post-stoner rock of “The Flagship”. Here the calm is trades for storm that sees the band making port and raising hell at a familiar watering hole on the travel itinerary. The high-energy groove on display here is sure to leave the locals in an uproar. After a hard night out on the town the ship sets sail until dusk descends, bringing with it the ambient keys and haunting, ultra-distorted bass murk of “Mayans vs. Martians”; a composition designed to uplift the spirits. Atmospheric guitar swells ratchet up the memorization level to 11, while deftly playing off the rhythm section and floating free form key arrangements that wander in the background like a distant, wayfaring ship.
“It doesn’t get more entrancing than this,” was a statement that ran through my head…that is until a tidal, 11 minute epic, “Aboard the Relic” crashed against the bow of my mental vessel. Creeping in slowly with a fog of repetitive bass groove and slow-motion southern guitar boogie, Husky takes their good ol’ time to unfold the horizon into view. When things blur into focus the expansive sound emanations chart a course of untold riches. Silky smooth guitar riffs keep foot firmly planted in southern mythos while the rhythm section reels in a hypnotic swirl that always follows the guitar’s shimmering leads. Eventually a crushing blow is dealt with peace dissolving into a blast of towering amplification and lofty, dinosaur percussive crashes. Never content to travel the same route twice; Husky return to even more soothing sound ripples of swaggering, blues-based instrumentation thereafter before a slam-bang, shipwreck of a rock n’ roll finale leads the way down to Davy Jones’ Locker.
Fuzz n’ blues shape all of “Rejoice” and its triumphant docking at the trade desitination. Southern gospel of the highest instrumental order with meaty riffs and swift rhythmic force trading hits of the finest import opium which flows indubitably into Husky’s shining hour; “Trading on the High Seas”, without a doubt my favorite instrumental tune at the moment and one of my favorite of all time. This song creates an aura like nothing else out there and would be the perfect listen when the sun is setting and you’re staring out over the open seas. Blues-ier than any gospel hymn of the deep south and packed with intricate riffs that warrant repeat listening; it almost makes the immediately following southern sprawls “Red Right Returning” and “Leeward and Easy” meager in its wake. That’s not an insult to the album’s closing tracks as they are both phenomenal but “Trade on the High Seas” is so goddamn righteous that it normally gets 3-4 repeat listens whenever it pops up as I’m spinning the disc from start to finish. Phil’s guitar work is impeccable here; every single note used is a nugget of pure southern gold with Nate and Mark adding atmosphere beyond words in their deliberate, churning rhythms. The smoldering licks and peaceful rhythmic drive will haunt your mind for days and nights without any chance of being evicted from the premises.
I feel like I have to say it again, The Sea King is the best album without vocals you are going to hear this year. Nothing in my mind can compete with the state of hypnosis that Husky will induce. You will want to stop everything you are doing and make sure you stay on the voyage for its duration. These guys have truly stepped into a whole new world here. Circle the Wagons was a damn fine release but it can’t even hold a candle to what the trio accomplishes here. Hell, this album was so good that it had me on the internet looking for extended information on the concept it embraces; a mighty trade ship that sank before its time. Let us hope that Husky will not suffer the same fate as the doomed boat from which they dew their inspiration because instrumental music this majestic just doesn’t come along that often anymore.
Screw the new Don Cab (and I’m even a fan), The Sea King is the one instrumental album you need this year if you only purchase one instrumental album (so, I said it a third time...sue me!). If you need a few names to rest your mind at ease, combine two parts Earth, one part Rise (Anyone remember these southern madmen, I think they were from NC too!), a pinch of Souvenirs Young America (but even better), a garnish of Ashra for ambience and cosmic guitar flavor and with a tiny smattering of Karma to Burn for heathen explosions of volume and you’ve got a tiny idea of what Husky is about. This isn’t just an album but an honest to God voyage; a record that takes you on a journey and tells you a story through sound. Better clear up your travel log because after your maiden voyage aboard this rig, you’ll never need another vessel. Simply stated, this is instrumental perfection, now someone give these guys a record deal and all will be right in the world!
from Peacedogman.com:
Husky - "The Sea King", 2008 (Self-release)
Who gives a ship about instrumentals?
HUSKY are an instrumental trio who have dedicated their record to The Sea King. For the aspiring history buffs,the Sea King was a large ship from Maine a long time ago that carried lumber, coal, cotton, salmon and hay to ports on five continents for 40 years from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.
Musically speaking, “Flagship” makes use of atmospheric guitars and some B3ish organ. “Mayans vs. Martians” starts with a drumbeat so similar to CHRISTIAN DEATH’s “”” , it could be a sample from the first record. We're talking the echo, the reverb and all. Coincidence? Matters not entirely anyways. The fuzz bass and delayed guitar parts cover it up to the summit so there you go. “Aboard The Relic” really shows HUSKY’s grasp of dynamics and emotion. The quiet passages are quite moving as they build themselves up to the big rock. “Rejoice” has the best soft/loud feel anyone could ask for. “Trading On The High Seas” has the best overall flow. The dynamics are to die for. HUSKY at it’s best. The buildup on “Red Right Returning’ is very immense. “Leeward and Easy” opens with some bass, Fender Rhodes (I suppose) and guitar noises. The noise transforms itself into big melodic parts as the bass drones on and keys vanish. After 4 minutes, the big rock slams in with the drums and everything, returning eventually to ambience. Overall “The Sea King” is a pleasing (and perhaps...educational?) listen. Fans of instrumental rock or the fuzzy stuff, head on over to the link below and judge for yourselves.
Rating 3.5/5
From StonerRock.com:
Husky - The Sea King
Review by John Pegoraro (StonerRock.com)
Self released
Release date: April 4, 2008
For their sophomore album, Charlotte, North Carolina's Husky has come up with a bit of a challenge. See, The Sea King is a concept album (based on “The Sea King” - the largest vessel ever built in Bowdoinham, ME, circa 1877), and Husky is an instrumental band. Even Peter and the Wolf had some narration, and that was more of straightforward yarn.
Those willing to invest the time can probably tie the individual tracks together into a cohesive narrative about a big fucking boat that one day sank in New York harbor, but for me, I'm just going to approach The Sea King as an album of songs and nothing more. Compared to their debut, the more landlubber named Circle the Wagons, Husky's certainly expanded their sound. While The Sea King still offers up plenty of dusty, Southern rock jams, there are also traces of straight forward rock (“Flagship”) and electronic fuzz n drone pyschedelia (“Mayans vs Martians,” “Rejoice”). Still, it's the semi-languid, sprawling tracks like “Aboard the Relic,” “Trading on the High Seas,” and “Leeward and Easy” that make The Sea King an impressive follow-up. The band seems most comfortable settling into a steady groove and letting the instruments express themselves. There's not a lot of fancy playing, but there's plenty of deep playing.
As with Circle the Wagons, The Sea King seems like one of those albums that's perfect for late night drives on long stretches of highway. It's good music to get lost to, and a fine collection of songs.
from Generated-X.de:
Husky - the sea king
(2008, Eigenrelease)
Hierbei handelt es sich um eine Band aus North Carolina, USA, welche mit einem eher untypischen Sound für eine Ami-Stoner-Band aufwartet. Im Prinzip kann man, selbst wenn sich Husky auf namhaften Events wie dem Stoner Hands Of Doom und im Schlepptau bekannt berüchtigter Stoner wie Atomic Bitchwax oder Pearls And Brass tummeln, gar nicht wirklich von Stonerrock sprechen, denn das was die Band macht, klingt weder übermäßig groovy, noch sind sie so richtig heftige Rocker. Es überwiegen eher sehr melodische Linien im stetigen Wechsel zwischen laut und leise und das oft auch abseits vom allseits beliebten Drei-Akkord-Schema. Alle Stücke sind außerdem rein instrumentell. Ansatzweise vergleichbar wären sie mit dem nun vorliegenden zweiten Album mit 35007, wobei bei Husky dennoch mehr Wert auf die ruhigeren Momenten gesetzt wird.
((( Christian Peters )))
from www.AudioDrome.it (loosely translated from Google and Babelfish):
Husky - The Sea King
(2008, Self Release)
From the expanses of the North American prairie to the salted waters of the Sea of the Sargassos, Husky completely change atmospheres for their second album.
If Circle The Wagons seemed to be catapulted on a journey to follow Clint Eastwood on acid, time has changed the face and took the fattezze of Errol Flynn. The cappellacci cowboy have transformed into tricorni and Southern flags into that of Jolly Roger. It was difficult to expect a change of atmosphere so radical, but also it would have been not very cunning to believe that Husky would have remained firm on safe territories already explored. The only feature that remains unchanged is the feeling of star observing boundless spaces, in this case plowed from waves of all kinds, which increases or decreases in intensity along with the flow of the music. Drawing from the past, Husky changes the game: The Sea King is an album more united and more coherent, despite the debut already being of a high level. The group has managed to make the compositions more homogeneous and dynamics of the songs more organic: the listener is transported even better in this journey, without the feeling of forced passes or amalgamated evil.
The disc opens with a brief intro, which introduces "Flagship", an excellent stoner ride who does not need to relate to gender stereotypes, then moves on to the synthesizers of "Mayans vs. Martians ", which displays a hypnotic and ethereal melody. Starting from "Aboard The Relic" the atmosphere here is pretty rich, and is beginning to expand: The first images to rise afloat are those of the crew of The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner who once arrived in Antarctica. Desolazione and mud smelling greenish algae are from the master in the middle of the disk, then room is made for calmer and healthy waters, which finds the space and blues of "Red Right Returning".
Husky focuses their target for the second time in a row, improving itself and imposing as teachers in a genre that is full of new releases and new groups, refining a very personal style. Unfortunately, due also to poor promotion, it will be difficult that their name can attain the status that other much more known bands have now.
5 stars out of 5
from www.AudioDrome.it (untranslated):
Dalle distese della prateria nordamericana alle acque salate del Mar dei Sargassi, gli Husky cambiano completamente atmosfere per il loro secondo album.
Se in Circle The Wagons sembrava di essere catapultati in un viaggio al seguito di un Clint Eastwood sotto acidi, ora il volto è cambiato e ha preso le fattezze di Errol Flynn. I cappellacci da cowboy si sono trasformati in tricorni e le bandiere sudiste in jolly roger. Era difficile aspettarsi un cambiamento di atmosfere così radicale, ma d’altronde sarebbe anche stato poco furbo credere che gli Husky sarebbero rimasti fermi su territori sicuri e già esplorati. L’unica caratteristica che rimane invariata è la sensazione di star osservando spazi sconfinati, in questo caso solcati da onde di ogni tipo, che aumentano o diminuiscono d’intensità assieme al fluire della musica. Forti dell’esperienza passata, gli Husky aggiustano il tiro: The Sea King è un album più unito, più coerente, nonostante già il debutto fosse di alto livello. Il gruppo è riuscito a rendere le composizioni più omogenee e le dinamiche dei brani più organiche: l’ascoltatore è trasportato ancora meglio in questo viaggio, senza che si abbia la sensazione di passaggi forzati o male amalgamati.
Il disco apre con una breve intro che introduce “Flagship”, ottima cavalcata stoner che non necessita di rifarsi agli stereotipi del genere, poi si passa ai sintetizzatori di “Mayans vs. Martians”, che mette in mostra una melodia ipnotica ed eterea. A partire da “Aboard The Relic” le atmosfere, fino a qui piuttosto ricche, iniziano a dilatarsi: le prime immagini a salire a galla sono quelle dell’equipaggio di The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner una volta giunto in Antartide. Desolazione, alghe maleodoranti e fanghiglia verdastra la fanno da padrone nella parte centrale del disco, per poi lasciare spazio ad acque più tranquille e sane, in cui trova spazio pure il blues di “Red Right Returning”.
Gli Husky centrano quindi l’obiettivo per la seconda volta di seguito, migliorandosi e imponendosi come maestri in un genere che pullula di nuove uscite e nuovi gruppi, affinando uno stile estremamente personale. Purtroppo, a causa anche della scarsa promozione, sarà difficile che il loro nome riesca a spiccare e a raggiungere lo status che hanno altre band ormai ben più note.
5 stars out of 5
