The Roller and the Punches
Based out of the hipster Mecca of Austin, TX, sludge upstarts The Roller are probably less notable for what they do musically than their presentation of it. Even in its bare CD form — you can also get the vinyl or a CD version that comes with a book by O. Henry Prize-winning author Rebecca Bengal — the packaging of the band’s self-titled offering is innovative and unique; a kind of slipcase box with a painted cover by Virginia Yount, who, like Bengal and The Roller, is part of the Monofonus Press lineup. Put all of these elements together and The Roller do stand out somewhat among their set, even if superficially.
They’re also heavier than the type of stoner metal usually associated with Austin, typified these days by the expensive haircuts and Matt Pike-lite riffing of The Sword. Particularly from the vocals of screamer Mike Morowitz, the band is given that extra push over the line between abrasive sludge and run-of-the-mill riff-led doom. The Roller was mastered by the ubiquitous Sanford Parker, who’s obviously encountered this kind of stuff before and handles it suitably, bringing up the low end so that songs like “Spirit of the Sun” get the thickening they deserve. Sunns (provided by Theron), Ampegs (Ed) and big Ludwig drums (Jeremy) — we all know how it goes by now.
At just over a half-hour, the album is on the shorter side of full-length (lest we forget that Slayer‘s Reign in Blood is only 28 minutes long), but The Roller play it smart in getting out before the songs get too samey. Hitting marks of early Electric Wizard, EyeHateGod, Buzzov*en and a faster Bongzilla, they’re an easy band to get lost in the shuffle at a Snake Eyes Vinyl showcase at SXSW, but for serious dirt worshippers who can’t get enough crust on their daily bread, The Roller should do for a quick fix. If I was already drunk, I’d definitely raise a Lone Star in their honor.
