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The Deep Blue are Missing a ‘C’

Not my scan.Young UK trio The Deep Blue have already released a 10″ since putting out their Doom Dealer/The Church Within debut EP, Antartic (sic) Abyss and toured with labelmate and doom powerhouse Lord Vicar, formerly of Reverend Bizarre, so it’s pretty clear that somebody likes them. And I can definitely see the appeal. The two tracks I also didn't draw this logo.that make up Antartic Abyss are solid guitar-led Sleep worship with an Om-type pseudo-spirituality that seems to focus more on overall vibe than particular nuance musically. It’s been done a thousand times before, but it’s still The Riff, and it’s still put to pretty good use.

Both of the 12+ minute tracks on Antartic Abyss are dually titled and the album allegedly portrays a journey from deep underwater to high in the sky — an allegory for feeling down and getting loaded? Maybe, but The Deep Blue steer away from out and out drug references in favor of sparse Cisneros chanting and hypnotic riffing. “Under the Ice/The Resurrection” keeps basically the same course throughout, but if there’s a change from sea to air, it’s in “Haunted Tide/The Freezing Storm,” which about halfway through offers a telling wind sample and more dramatic musical shift. From riff to riff.

Blue indeed.They drone capably and Antartic Abyss is a short and decent listen for anyone seeking a quick chill, but ultimately neither of these two tracks from The Deep Blue accomplishes anything that hasn’t been done before. Even the concept covers familiar ground for experienced heads and doesn’t deviate from what’s expected — which is fine so long as you go into hearing it with that level of expectation, not thinking you’re getting some kind of stoner rock revolution or genre landmark. The Deep Blue may very well grow into more individualized shoes, but as of this record, they’re not quite there yet. In the meantime, they’ve still got a cool-sounding EP that should please anyone who wants to hear one more take on those Dopesmoker riffs.

The Deep Blue on MySpace

Doom Dealer/The Church Within

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