They?re in and out in under 15 minutes, and in that time the Floridian trio Shroud Eater manage to give an impressive showing of sludge and noise on their self-titled demo. With artwork from guitarist/vocalist Jeannie Saiz and a logo that says ?stoner rock? as much as any riff ever could, the three tracks present, ?We are Beasts,? ?Vesuvius? and ?Cyclone,? respectively, offer doom by way of a ?90s alternative influence. They call it Jesus Lizard, and there?s some early Neurosis in there, maybe by way of Kylesa. No complaints, in any case.

?We are Beasts? opens with a disconcerting riff and gives away its chorus quickly in punk rock fashion. The groove to the song is central and complex — Shroud Eater waste no time in showing they?re capable of toying with structure to get a point across. After two verses and choruses, an instrumental section takes hold, then the cycle repeats and the track ends with a modified version of the verse riff, only to find ?Vesuvius? starting with a tom solo from drummer Felipe Torres before feedback fades up and Saiz and bassist Janette Valentine move into the song proper. It?s here the Neurosis influence, such as it is, comes out, and mostly in Saiz?s shouting vocal approach.

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