The vinyl for the new split LP between Freepoint, Illinois’ Erosions and Las Vegas’ Psalm is due in October as the first release through new Denver-based imprint Space Goat Records. The LP, manageable at 33 minutes and maybe a little punk for the shorter runtime, does not shy away from its sense of worship, whether that’s Erosions dug into the slow-rolling weedolatry of “Homegrown” or Psalm taking on Trouble‘s “Psalm 9,” and both bands seem to know of what they speak in terms of style and riff-conjured groove, the former feeling like a blowout on opener “Deep Creep” but gradually acclimating the listener to the brashness of their sound ahead of the actual blowout at the end of “Homegrown,” and the latter prefacing their cover that draws down the album with the poised crunch of “Pain” (premiering below), finding the line between stoner riffs and doomed clarity and accordingly stomping all over it as one might.

On some level, it is a showcase piece for two bands, and I think part of the mission on the part of Space Goat Records — for whom this marks release 001 — is setting up the split and in working with multiple acts comes from a place of sharing, as if to say, “this is cool stuff we’ve found in the heavy underground, check it out,” and sure enough, it’s a format that works for that. Each band features three songs on its respective side. Erosions are rawer on a production level, but that makes the density of their fuzz and the wash of crash a that-much-noisier jaunt as the gutted-out vocals cut through, a willful cacophony that hits into a break in its midsection, echoes of guitar holding the song’s place until the hi-hat comes back and the build moves to an even thicker, and yes, blown-out, crescendo. A sample, about drugs, tops the ending noise and another starts “Too Many Deaths,” which reminds of turn-of-the-century era sludge rock, a bit more strut in its riff than “Deep Creep,” but no real posturing around that, the refrain, “Too many deaths/We’re all gonna die,” inarguable in concept or the audio.

The aforementioned “Homegrown” follows and is the longest track on the record at 8:13, slower and more reveling in its nod. There’s a break here too, after the first couple minutes as the song side-A-capper shifts into stonerly noodling before the riff starts again in rolling earnest, setting up the procession for the remainder of the track while leaving Erosions room to drop a hook on their way. From the fadeout, Psalm‘s “Asunder” picks up with an immediately darker feel. Their recording is a bit more elaborate, but one wouldn’t say either band is overly ‘produced,’ even as the acoustic guitar is layered into the full tonal brunt of “Asunder,” which continues its slower roll and establishes the clear, largely-effects-free vocals carrying the emergent penchant for melody in Psalm‘s sound. A late kick of tempo makes the slower part prior and the figurative thud at the start of “Pain” feel that much heavier, and the chug that arises therefrom is enough to make you wonder if they might cover Trouble next, which, again, yes, they do.

“Pain” is the shortest cut on the split and its chorus boasts some intangible post-grunge melody, ’90s-style but less directly placeable than some for that, but for sure doomed as hell. The band’s stoners-play-doom vibes were writ large across 2025’s In Darkness… Have Mercy EP (review here) as well, and the seamlessness with which they shift into “Psalm 9” underscores the notion of traditional doom metal influence on what they’re doing, even as they pull it in their own direction. Of course, “Psalm 9” is among the most christian of Trouble‘s Jesus-y lyrics, and that continues to be a debate in metal some 42 years later, but the song has not gotten any less vital for it, and more, it fits Psalm enough to make me wonder if they named the band after it. Whether they did or not, its inclusion is confirmation that traditional doom is a big part of Psalm‘s affect, and that as they move forward, something that will hopefully continue to be manifest in their approach.

It should be noted that neither band here has an album out. Psalm have two prior EPs and Erosions have one, so neither of them should be considered a closed book in terms of aesthetic, but this too seems purposeful on the part of Space Goat Records, to not only find something right-on to share, but to highlight up and coming presences in the heavy underground. As the label’s stated mission leans them toward splits — some folks just love logistical complication — they set themselves out with a clarion of a first release, calling to those heads always seeking the new, the next and the loud from out of the ether of the ‘scene.’ Three parties to follow here, then, and the split is that much richer a listen for the potential it heralds on all sides.

Enjoy “Pain” on the player below. LP preorder and more links follow:

Psalm, “Pain” track premiere

Space Goat Records is proud to announce the preorder launch of its very first release: Erosions / Psalm, a limited-edition split LP featuring Erosions on Side A and Psalm on Side B. Created for fans of the heavy underground, this collector-quality vinyl marks the beginning of a new label dedicated to premium, limited-run releases with exceptional packaging. The album is $35 plus shipping, and preorders began Friday exclusively at spacegoatrecords.com. Don’t miss your chance to own the inaugural release from Space Goat Records and help us launch something truly special.

Tracklisting:
Side A – Erosions
1. Deep Creep 5:55
2. Too Many Deaths 4:53
3. Homegrown 8:13
Side B – Psalm
4. Asunder 5:56
5. Pain 3:53
6. Psalm 9 5:08

Erosions on Bandcamp

Erosions on Instagram

Erosions on Facebook

Psalm on Bandcamp

Psalm on Instagram

Psalm on Facebook

Space Goat Records website

Space Goat Records on Bandcamp

Space Goat Records on Facebook

Tags: Erosions, Freepoint, Illinois, Las Vegas, Nevada, Psalm, Psalm Erosions Split, Space Goat Records

This entry was posted on Monday, August 17th, 2026 at 9:15 am and is filed under audiObelisk, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.