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Morass of Molasses, The Ties that Bind: New Paths

Posted in Reviews on July 23rd, 2019 by JJ Koczan

morass of molasses the ties that bind

Reading, UK’s Morass of Molasses are former denizens of the unceremoniously defunct HeviSike Records — those bands should form a support group, or at very least make a patch for vests; “we were there” — and they emerge from that particular, well, morass of molasses, in order to deliver The Ties that Bind through Wasted State Records, a tight-knit collection of swinging heavy rock grooves punctuated by drummer Raj Puni (also some vocals) and bluesy licks from lead guitarist Phil Williams met with baritone guitar to provide low end and the post-hardcore vocalizations of Bones Huse, who seems to be in the real-time process of developing his approach as a singer. He and Puni seem to come together on the folkish side A finale “Legend of the Five Sons” — amid flute from Matt Ainsworth and guest backing vocals from Sian Greenaway of Alunah — in a quieter take, and the same happens, minus flute, plus percussion at the end of the record in “The Deepest Roots,” but in the louder material, Huse‘s style shows screamier roots he’s moving away from, resulting in a cleaner bark that reminds of Snapcase without some of the direct aggro attack.

The first Morass of Molasses album, 2017’s These Paths We Tread, also supports the argument of a progression underway in his vocals as well as the general breadth of arrangement, but as much as Morass of Molasses — who are not nearly so sluggish as their name would suggest, by the way — seem to delight in the contrast between subdued moments like the barely-there acoustic album intro “The Darkening” and the sudden crash-in of lead single “Woe Betide” (premiered here), it’s the latter that ultimately frames the primary impression of The Ties that Bind, and Huse‘s pushing himself vocally is a part of that. He sounds more confident here than on the debut, loud or quiet, and one expects the growth will continue across whatever the band do next from here. As it stands, songs like “Estranger” and “Persona Non Grata” arrive with all the more edge for what Huse brings to them as frontman.

Following “The Darkening,” “Woe Betide” and the catchy “Death of All” build considerable momentum in rockers-up-front fashion, the latter with a chugging, start-stopping riff that works its way into a kind of sludge boogie, with Puni‘s toms driving transition into and out of quick spoken-word parts en route to the next assault. A final run through the hook ends with an echoing shout and a moment of silence before “Estranger” crashes in on its bluesy lead guitar line from Williams, clearly taking a more patient approach from the outset. The vibe persists throughout most of the track’s six and a half minutes, though Morass of Molasses aren’t shy about the build that’s happening all the while any more than they are about the subsequent payoff thereof, which arrives announced by a single snare hit just past the 4:20 mark (obviously) in harder fuzz and harsher throat, culminating in a grungy nod backed by consistent kick drum before finally letting go into a drift of whispers and feedback.

morass of molasses

It’s from that natural but still thoughtfully done finish — the band clearly put emphasis on how one song feeds into the next as they were building The Ties that Bind, and indeed, the record all the more lives up to its name for those efforts — that the acoustic-led “Legend of the Five Sons” rises to cap side A with the contributions of Ainsworth and Greenaway, both contributions helping feed a sense of nature-worship that pulls away from some of the more interpersonal themes of songs like “Woe Betide” and “Estranger,” let alone “Persona Non Grata” still to come. But again, Morass of Molasses revel in the departure from one aspect of their sonic ideology to another, and they’re all the more able to pull off the sudden shifts in mood for that, each half of The Ties that Bind effectively framed in these folkish moments with bursts of aggression between. It’s like when you try really hard not to be mad but then you are anyway.

“Legend of the Five Sons” gives way easily to “As Leaves Fall,” with an interplay of electric and unplugged guitar, and soon enough, the feedback-soaked, shout-topped start of “Persona Non Grata” is underway. The longest of the album’s total nine tracks at just under seven minutes long — the record runs an LP-ready 38 minutes — it rolls out a righteous groove through much of the proceedings, pulling back to give Puni and Williams a bit of space during the bridge before the bigger-sounding finish, and then shifts, via feedback, into a concluding stretch of acoustic guitar, tying together with “As Leaves Fall” in a way that the tracks on side A seemed less interested in doing. Likewise, “In Our Sacred Skin” seems to push even further in bridging the gap between one side of their personality and the other, with a cleaner vocal style on display, acoustics layered in at various points, and still plenty of force surrounding to offer vicious counterpoint.

Still, that penultimate cut feels especially important in showcasing how Morass of Molasses might continue to draw the various sides of their approach together, and as they close out with “The Deepest Roots,” the proceedings still seem affected by the energy of the song prior, that tension overlapping in a way that underscores its resonant execution. I won’t profess to know where Morass of Molasses might be headed creatively after The Ties that Bind, but in a UK heavy underground that’s nigh on saturated with bands, their clear drive to distinguish themselves in terms of sound can only do them well as they keep moving forward. Most importantly, on The Ties that Bind, they come across like they want to do precisely that, and their willingness to push themselves into new styles of performance while also looking to others to bolster their own work in service to the songs likewise speaks to the proper placement of their priorities. With a firm sense of the earth under them, Morass of Molasses feel like they’re coming into their own here, and one hopes that’s precisely the case.

Morass of Molasses, The Ties that Bind (2019)

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Morass of Molasses on Bandcamp

Wasted State Records website

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Morass of Molasses Premiere “Woe Betide” from The Ties that Bind out June 7; Tour Dates Announced

Posted in audiObelisk, Whathaveyou on April 2nd, 2019 by JJ Koczan

morass of molasses

Morass of Molasses will release their second album, The Ties that Bind, on June 7 through Wasted State Records. The follow-up to the trio’s 2017 debut, These Paths We Tread is heralded by the premiere of “Woe Betide,” which you can stream at the bottom of this post, as well as a slew of live dates the band will undertake this and next month in the UK. Already veterans of Desertfest and HRH Doom vs. Stoner, the three-piece seem to solidify around a classic heavy rock sound tinged with just an element of noise to keep things dangerous.

I’m going by one track and it’s four minutes long, but even that has room for a stretch of progressive departure before the solo leads them back to the hooky verse and chorus from whence they came, so as to how the balance might shake out or if they want it to at all on the LP, I can’t say, but from the raucousness in “Woe Betide,” it certainly seems like it’ll be worth finding out.

Preorders soon. Art, info and audio now, courtesy of the PR wire:

morass of molasses the ties that bind

MORASS OF MOLASSES UNLEASH ALBUM DETAILS + FIRST SINGLE!

The Ties That Bind coming June 7th on Wasted State Records!

June 7th will see Swamp master generals of the Reading scene MORASS OF MOLASSES, return with their sophomore album on Wasted State Records. The low-tuned trio create the kind of lumbering heavy blues riffs which induce involuntary head nodding, now awake from a brief slumber, and emerge from the shadows to deliver their latest musical offering; The Ties That Bind. Taking on an altogether more earthly visage, this album is framed by themes of human connection, and delves into the deep-rooted interactions we share with each other and ourselves. The ‘Dark Forest’ motif that runs throughout this collection is the manifestation of these themes and uses familiar archetypes to guide us on this journey.

Today the band is not only sharing with us the hotly anticipated details with the album artwork and track list of The Ties That Bind, but also a first single to the track ‘Woe Betide’ Frontman Bones Huse says: ‘This song is about how quickly a relationship can change, and not allowing someone else to treat you without respect anymore. Regardless of how close you were in the past.’

The Ties That Bind Track list:

Side A
1. The Darkening
2. Woe Betide
3 . Death Of All
4 . Estranger
5 . Legend Of The Five Suns

Side B
6. As Leaves Fall
7. Persona Non Grata
8. In Our Sacred Skin
9. The Deepest Roots

In the lead up to the new album, the band will hit the road for their upcoming Goddess Shrine Tour, to allow audiences to catch a glimpse of the new material ahead of its release. Make sure to catch MORASS OF MOLASSES live at the following dates, to kick-off this Friday in their hometown Reading!

Goddess Shrine Tour:
05.04.19 – The Swamp, Reading
06.04.19 – The Black Heart, London
12.04.19 – Trash, Bradford
13.04.19 – Opium, Edinburgh
14.04.19 – West Street Live, Sheffield
15.04.19 – Rebellion, Manchester
16.04.19 – Lady Luck, Canterbury
24.05.19 – The Anvil, Bournemouth
25.05.19 – Firehouse, Southampton
26.05.19 – The Underground, Plymouth
31.05.19 – The White Horse, Tiverton
01.06.19 – Mothers Ruin, Bristol

www.facebook.com/MorassOfMolasses
www.morassofmolasses.bandcamp.com
www.wastedstate.com

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