Smile is another ambitious effort, combining noise and drone with stoner metal, doom and psychedelic rock. Some songs are pretty traditional with a lot of groove and melody, others are more dissonant and experimental. This is a thick and heavy album, driven by Wata's excellent guitar work.

Usually Boris doesn't have vocals on every track, but this time around they do. Smile is by no means a mainstream album, but when it comes to Boris, it's probably one of their most accessible. It has enough melody and riffs that those not into noise and drone can enjoy it. Because their music is so challenging and experimental, they will always be underground, but discerning metal fans know exactly where to find them.

Read the complete Boris - Smile Review

(CD cover courtesy Southern Lord Records)