Wretch Release New EP Bastards Born
Indianapolis trio Wretch released arguably last year’s best debut of pure, unadulterated doom in their self-titled first full-length (review here), and their new follow-up EP finds them well within their rights in directly acknowledging the band’s lineage in guitarist/vocalist Karl Simon‘s prior outfit, The Gates of Slumber, from whose 2011 swansong, The Wretch (review here), they take their moniker.
They do so across the three tracks of Bastards Born, which was recorded by James Atkinson of Gentlemans Pistols this Spring concurrent to a UK tour with Iron Void that followed Wretch‘s appearance in the Netherlands for Roadburn 2017 (review here), and across the two covers “The Wretch” and “Bastards Born,” Simon, drummer Chris Gordon and bassist Bryce Clark tie the two outfits together in morose fashion, leaving room for a low-end-led jam at the close called “Bassment Dweller” that’s both shorter and more uptempo than either of the plodders before it, but serves effectively to emphasize that even as Wretch look to their roots, they’re committed to moving forward in developing their own identity as well.
Issued through Bad Omen Records in memoriam to former The Gates of Slumber bassist Jason McCash and drummer J. “Cool Clyde” Paradis, Bastards Born is up now on Bandcamp as a name-your-price download with proceeds going to the organizations listed below. Dig it:
Wretch – Bastards Born EP
Those familiar with the history of Wretch will know that the band is born out or the ashes of vocalist / guitarist Karl Simon’s previous outfit The Gates of Slumber, even taking its name from the title track of their final release ‘The Wretch’.
Sadly, of the three band members who played on ‘The Wretch’ album only Simon is still with us, with both Jason McCash & J. “Cool” Clyde Paradis losing the battle to overcome their demons in 2014 & 2016 respectively.
This E.P. contains two compositions from ‘The Wretch’ (“Bastards Born” & “The Wretch” itself) re-worked by Wretch at sessions that took place in April 2017 in Leeds, England, with engineer James Atkinson (he of Gentlemans Pistols fame) behind the desk. The third cut “Bassment Dweller” is an instrumental, which shows the dexterity of Bryce Clarke on the four string motherfucker.
You can pay what you want for ‘Bastards Born’ and we will pay though all money received from your purchase to the US arm of the Amy Whitehouse Foundation, set up to prevent drug and alcohol misuse among young people and help the most vulnerable to reach their full potential, and the Indiana Addictions Issues Coalition.
1. The Wretch 08:23
2. Bastards Born 06:41
3. Bassment Dweller 03:21
Released July 12, 2017.
Recorded by James Atkinson. Mastered by Terry Waker at Tonalex Mastering. Artwork by Branca Studio.
https://www.facebook.com/Wretch-469537983166326/
https://wretchdoom.bandcamp.com/
https://badomenrecords.bandcamp.com/
