Review: Bossk ‘Migration’

Sometime in the next few days, something is going to happen, so monumental, yet so understated, that if you blink, you may well miss it, but you really shouldn’t. Something that is so incredibly fantastic, that if you let it enter your world, it will grab you, shake you, and lead you off on a path to a completely new level of musical experience. That experience is the arrival of the new Bossk album, Migration.

Bossk ‘Migration’

For those of you who already probably know of Bossk, yes, he’s that reptile bounty hunter guy in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. He isn’t as cool as Boba Fett, and even though he shares the same name as the band, let me assure you, this Bossk is easily fifty times more interesting, and hundred times more memorable than that Star Wars villain could ever be.

Bossk, the band, are natives of Ashford in Kent, which makes them neighbours of mine, as I’m in the same neck of the woods, at a twenty-minute drive away, along the coast, and yet they managed to elude me, a hardened metal head, for pretty much most of their whole sixteen-year existence, until I finally stumbled over them a couple of years ago. It was completely by accident, when at the time they were going to be support for one Orange Goblin, at a venue on my very doorstep. Well, bloody Covid hit, and that wasn’t meant to be, but what it did start, was the search for answers, into who this illusive band are, and just exactly what I was letting myself in for.

Nothing could have prepared me for the whole Bossk experience, and after picking up the previous releases, .1, .2, .3, and Audio Noir, the idea of getting to hear any newer material seemed pretty remote, until now.

What I can say, and this is said with the best intentions, is that after waiting this long for any new material, the arrival of Migration was met with a level of trepidation. I knew it was going to be epic, but just how epic was the burning question in my mind. Well, I needn’t have worried, because what has landed is nothing short of career defining.

The Bossk camp have come back with something utterly engaging, and with every new listen I take more and more from it. As individual tracks there are three defining benchmarks for me: Menhir, HTV-3, and Lira. All three of these are absolutely captivating, and truly show Bossk’s mastery of the music. That doesn’t mean that everything else pales in comparison, far from it, but if I had one opportunity to point to a track to showcase them, any one of these would seal the deal.

A work of art, completely spellbinding, thank you Bossk, and welcome back, now is your time to shine…

As with any Bossk release, the whole album is a mix of highs and lows, the gradient ambience interlaced with moments of absolutely ferocious outpouring, and the more I play the album, the more there is to notice. Whether it’s the ambient rising soundscapes, of multi layered instrumentation, such as album opener White Stork, or Cult Of Luna’s Johannes Persson wailing over the absolutely monumental Menhir, the perfection and juxtaposition in sounds is just on another level completely.

From proggy soundscapes and bombastic outbursts on tracks such as on HTV-3, to, the ebb and flow of the experience is truly something more than just music itself. Its far deeper rooted, and once it gets in to your soul, it won’t ever let go. With other guest appearances from Josh Mckeown of Palm Reader, and additional instrumentation by members of Endon, this album is so much more than just another album for the collection, it should be an essential purchase, which demands your attention. Not so much something for in the car, but also not as disposable as driving music, this needs to be given precedence, and invested in, for maximum gratification.

Credit should also be highly paid to the production and engineering, because capturing this work of art, and breathing life into it in such high clarity and quality, just adds another dimension, and I feel that the behind-the-scenes crew aren’t given nearly enough praise usually, and here it’s completely worthy. The sound is rich, and the mixing is simply phenomenal.

Even if you’ve heard of the band, but haven’t given them much dedication, now is the time to change that, this is the ride to get on, and I’m positive you won’t regret it. Already a contender for my album of the year, I’m going to most likely wear this album out over the coming months, and my only fear is for my children, who will have to accept this going to be part of the soundtrack to their youth for many moons to come. A work of art, completely spellbinding, thank you Bossk, and welcome back, now is your time to shine.

Label: Deathwish Inc.
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram

Scribed by: Lee Beamish