Slomatics Release 20th Anniversary Compilation Silver Ships Into the Past
While a little more than a month out from the recording of their next full-length, North Irish heavy sci-fi tonal plungemakers Slomatics have all-of-a-sudden-like dropped a new 2CD compilation to mark their 20th anniversary as a band.
Both are good news and something of a surprise. After all, it hasn’t been that long since the Belfast three-piece issued 2023’s Strontium Fields (review here), so even if their eighth album were to surface in early 2025 — which would be likely given the Fall start — that’s still a pretty quick turnaround. In the meantime, the double-disc Silver Ships Into the Past pairs off-album tracks (and calling them that somewhat undersells the quality of material Slomatics are likely to include on a split) with a selection of live-recorded tunes spanning the last 20 years. It’s got “Buried Axes on Regulus Minor,” man. I’m not sure what more you’d want.
I’d tell you to buy a copy, but honestly I don’t want them to sell out before (my wife’s) payday, so yeah, maybe hold off. By all means, feel free to pummel yourself into oblivion with max-volume streaming though. Bandcamp player is at the bottom of the post. Text came down the PR wire:
Silver Ships into the Past.
slomatics.bandcamp.com/album/silver-ships-into-the-past
2024 marks 20 years of Slomatics. Even writing that down feels a little surreal; there’s even a chance that you might not have been born when we released our first 7 inch in 2005. 20 years is a long time to do anything, but for us it’s hard to imagine not doing this. Our ambitions in 2004 were much the same as they are now – make it to weekly rehearsal, play a few shows, and write new music.
The last of those aims has remained central for us; we are old enough to remember a time when bands released an album every year. We aren’t a full time band, and real life takes up too much time for that level of productivity, but we have tried to release as much music as possible over the 20 years. I’m sure a music industry mogul would advise us against releasing so many splits with other bands, but for us getting to share a release with a band we love is really what music is all about.
This collection ties together all the non-album studio material we have released since 2012, the year that our cosmic leader Marty agreed to ‘sit in on drums for a few shows’. CD2 is a live session we recorded in our second home – Start Together Studios here in Belfast, drawing together songs from the entire duration of the band. We return to the studio in September to record album number 8, so until then, here is a reflection on what happens when three middle-aged volume freaks end up in room together every week.
This double CD comes in a gatefold digi-pack cover, and is strictly limited. Orders are live on Bandcamp right now.
Tracklisting:
1. Running Battle 05:10
2. Son of Ampbreaker 04:46
3. Ulysses, My Father 04:26
4. Ancient Architects 08:11
5. Silver Ships Into The Future 03:40
6. Masters Descent 08:11
7. Kaān 05:43
8. Proto Hag 04:30
9. Monitors 07:13
10. Griefhound 04:25
11. Positive Runes 08:02
12. Buried Axes on Regulus Minor 03:54
13. Dustrider 04:52
14. Electric Breath (Live) 06:12
15. Futurian (Live) 03:51
16. Lost Punisher (Live) 04:26
17. And Yet It Moves (Live) 07:20
18. Tramontane (Live) 06:00
19. Son of Ampbreaker (Lve) 05:38
CD1:
Tracks 1, 2 and 7-13 produced and mixed by Rocky O’Reilly at Start Together
Tracks 3-6 recorded and mixed by Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio.
CD2:
Tracks 14-19 recorded live at Start Together Studio, Belfast. Mixed by Niall Doran.
Slomatics are:
Marty Harvey – Drums, keys, vocals
Chris Couzens – Guitar
David Majury – Guitar
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