Texas sabo rockers Peth release their debut album, Merchant of Death, May 27 through Electric Valley Records and The Cosmic Peddler. The eight-tracker is a proto-metaller’s buffet o’ riffs, drawing on the early 1970s birth of post-psychedelic heavy, bluesy rock and roll and meeting it with a semi-modern presentation that both hints at where the four-piece are coming from stylistically and wouldn’t be so out of place next to any number of Swedish or German outfits of similar mind, though as “Dwarvanaught” reinvents Black Sabbath‘s “After Forever” riff in the first 10 seconds of the record or so, there is something particularly brazen about Merchant of Death as Peth seem from the start to be willing to bend or break the rules of genre to suit their needs.

Later on, the title-track will play mashup with Sabbath‘s “The Wizard” and their take on “Warning,” both from their own first album, but the prior “Run the Night” is more ’80s-derived: “Mob Rules.” It’s not all Black Sabbath — though enough is for one to perhaps think of Peth as being Orchid-influenced — as “Amok” digs into weirdo cult rock vibes en route to its righteously twisting finish and “Let Evil In” answers that song’s creeping sensibility with a, well, Iommi-style lead swapping channels and a strutting, showy finish, but either way, like Orchid before them, Peth aren’t trying to get away with anything. The PR wire below makes the case that Black Sabbath aren’t the band’s only influence, and of course that’s true — “Let Evil In” is probably the source of the Venom comparison below, for example — however prominent they may be in their sound. Vocals vary, and the production throughout is raw enough to be evocative of some lost private-press release without losing that aesthetic value or taking away from the songs. Some parts will be familiar, some less so, like anything.

“Stoned Wizard” has swagger enough for the entire record at what’s probably the close of side A, following “Let Evil In” and the “Symptom of the Universe”-crunch of “Abolish the Overseer,” which soon enough finds its own galloping path, and is emblematic of a big part of the appeal of Merchant of Death as a whole in that the focus is on how smoothly Peth execute their material and what of themselves they bring to it. One can hear that in the energy of “Dwarvanaught” or “Amok” and throughout the record, however specific their sonic references along the way might be. They cap the album with the 10-minute “Karmic Debt,” which highlights the burgeoning prog-blues aspirations of many bands of the original heavy era, and it’s curious to think that Peth might share those aspirations. They wouldn’t be the first — even Witchcraft put out The Alchemist before dropping vintageism entirely — but after so much straight-ahead doom rock drive, the changes in “Karmic Debt,” which begins with a flowing jam before diving into harsher Venom-style rock to back up “Let Evil In” earlier before moving into its own solo-topped doom-swing closing section, are stark enough to speak of broader ambition.

Whether anything will come of that, who the hell knows. Assuredly, I don’t. But given that it’s fun to wonder and that Peth‘s first LP lends itself toward considerations of the future at all, one can only mark the album as a win for the band as they embrace the tenets of style in a way that’s theirs while eliciting knowing nods from elder heads. It is an encouraging start to an exploration that may or may not grow broader with time — most do, for what it’s worth — but more crucially, Merchant of Death finds Peth clear-headed in their worshipful purpose and still managing to begin to find a niche in sound of their own. I wouldn’t be surprised if they got dirtier as they went, but they’re already kicking dust in your eye. So dig that.

“Amok” premieres on the player below, followed by the aforementioned PR wire background on Merchant of Death and the band, preorder links, and so on.

Enjoy:

Peth, “Amok” track premiere

Electric Valley Records, in conspiracy with The Cosmic Peddler, presents PETH’s debut album, Merchant of Death, due out 27 May 2022 digitally and on multiple variations of vinyl.

Central Texas is well known for its underground heavy rock ‘n’ roll from the late ‘60s,’70s, and ‘80s: — a series of sounds different than any other place on earth have been originated and evolved from here time and time again. Fast forward some 50 years later and there are still the same hell-raisin, beer-drinking, guitar-slinging rock ‘n’ cowboys makin some noise in the Lone Star! Hence, it’s no surprise that in the 21st century, a band like PETH come along and start making some big ‘70s Texas noise!

Born in the middle of the 2020 pandemic, these four native Texans have been doin all the maniacal and lawless exploits with a wild mix of early ‘70s proto-metal and heavy psych/occult rock soundscapes matched to that of early Black Sabbath, Scorpions, Medusa, Venom, Blue Cheer, Pentagram, ZZ Top, and the likes. Conjuring evil guitarmonies (what they call guitar harmonies), explosive trucking bass and drum section, and two knock-out vocalists, PETH truly help preserve the spirit of Texas’s old way of life while helping usher in this new era of rock ‘n’ roll for generations to follow.

PETH’s debut LP, Merchant of Death, is a hidden gem of the ‘70s/’80s metal invasion, but got discovered in the 21st century. The album in part brings menacing aggressions, in part brings breathtaking rhythms, but steers clear of the modern, lustrous sonic aesthetics. Roll out the red carpet for Merchant of Death and revel in the wilderness.

Track Listing:
1. Dwarvanaught
2. Amok
3. Abolish the Overseer
4. Let Evil In
5. Stoned Wizard
6. Run the Night
7. Merchant of Death
8. Karmic Debt

Credits:
Recorded at l Lunatic Sounds Studios in Austin, TX, by Gian Ortiz and Mastered by Brandon Moscheo.

Artwork by EVR Studio.

Available Formats:

DIGITAL

&

— VINYL —
Electric Valley Records Editions:
— 2x Test Press Vinyl
— 120x DDGalaxy Black/White Vinyl
— 30x Ultra LTD “Merchant Edition”

The Cosmic Peddler/US Editions:
—2x Test Press
— 150x Transparent Purple with Black Splatter

Pre-Order:
https://www.electricvalleyrecords.com/products (Vinyl + Merch)
https://evrecords.bandcamp.com/album/peth-merchant-of-death (Vinyl + Merch + Digital)
https://thecosmicpeddler.com (Vinyl – US editions)

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Tags: Electric Valley Records, Jonestown, Merchant of Death, Peth, Peth Merchant of Death, Texas

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 20th, 2022 at 9:12 am and is filed under audiObelisk, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.