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audiObelisk: Undersmile Premiere “Killer Bob” from Wood & Wire Split with Coma Wall

Any band can put out a split with another band. Far rarer are those who can release a split with themselves. Due out for release shortly on a limited-to-500 pressing of purple vinyl, the full-length Wood and Wire split on Shaman Recordings unites British nautical doomers Undersmile with their unplugged alter ego, Coma Wall. As much as two bands featuring an identical lineup can be “united,” that is. Since they’re already the same people? Ah, never mind. You get the point.

The point is that by bringing together Coma Wall with Undersmile, the four-piece proves once again to be able to affect as much heaviness atmospherically as they do tonally. The ambience and emotional heft of Coma Wall‘s material flows naturally and engagingly into that of Undersmile — each band is given three tracks of a vinyl side — and the acoustic setting only provides more room for guitarists Taz Corona-Brown and Hel Sterne to branch out melodically and harmonically with their vocals. Cuts like “You are My Death” and opener “Summer” offer Cantrell/Staley-esque vocal interplay, and while the same could be said of Undersmile‘s previous album, Narwhal (review here), the context is different enough on Wood and Wire to highlight their performances.

And where Undersmile stretched suitably oceanic on Narwhal, the Wood and Wire split finds them somewhat more compressed, time-wise. Nonetheless, they make the three tracks feel as massive and tidal as one might expect. Recorded by Justin Greaves (Crippled Black Phoenix, Iron Monkey, etc.), “Soil,” “Killer Bob” and “Hives” are no less melodically-centered than did Coma Wall‘s contributions, but come on unremittingly heavy, pushed forward at a distinct drag by bassist Olly Corona-Brown and drummer Tom McKibbin. The Witney unit(s) recently premiered Coma Wall‘s “Summer” and today I have the pleasure of hosting the debut of “Killer Bob” from Undersmile‘s side of Wood and Wire. Please find it on the player below, and enjoy:

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

Undersmile and Coma Wall‘s Wood and Wire split is available now for pre-order through Shaman Recordings. For more info, hit up Coma Wall on Thee Facebooks or Undersmile on Thee Facebooks. Thanks to Lee Edwards and Shaman Recordings for allowing me to premiere “Killer Bob.”

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