Much of the time, when a band issues a self-released EP as a first release, what they mean to say is, “We made a demo,” and I would say that’s the case with Portland, Oregon, trio Sioux and their self-titled debut as well but for the level of professionalism involved. The four-track, 21-minute outing from the dually-vocalized three-piece finds them beginning to explore the reaches of Melvins-via-Mastodon crunch, and it’s an aesthetic on which they clearly already have a firm grasp. They also put in an appearance earlier this year on the Eolian Empire compilation Keep Our Heads among a plethora of their fellow Portland acts, and in what’s probably the most diverse-yet-cohesive heavy scene in the US, Sioux immediately stand out for the grip they have on what they want their sound to be. All four cuts on Sioux — “Bezoar,” “Rheap,” “Aegeless” (sic) and “In Tongues” — plunder and scrape with a sonic clarity to match that behind their musical concept, and though the whole work may not come across as groundbreaking in part because it’s so indebted in its roots to Mastodon, guitarist/vocalist Juan Carlos Caceres, bassist/vocalist Kirk Evans and drummer Ryan McPhaill succeed in establishing some measure of their own personality within that neo-progressive metal riffing, locking into a sludgy groove at the end of “Bezoar” that comes on fluidly and establishes a wider base for the other tracks to build on, which, fortunately, they do. Particularly as it’s their first release, there’s nothing more I could reasonably ask of Sioux than that.

And it’s worth reiterating that among the aspects of the release working in Sioux‘s favor, a remarkably professional production (credited to Fester at Haywire Studios) ranks pretty high. Both Caceres‘ guitar and Evans‘ bass tones come across as varied and full — sounding big enough and layered enough to give the impression of two guitarists — and a consistent thud in McPhaill‘s drums and variety in the vocal approach from the Kirk Windstein croaks of “Bezoar” to the cleaner rhythmic shouting that starts “Aegeless” lends the entire release a crisp studio sensibility that never turns too far to the side of studio trickery. “Aegeless” is perhaps the most melodic of the four inclusions here, but Caceres keeps a steady line of melody in the guitar leads across the board, so that even the chugging drudgery of second track “Rheap” has some accessible lines running through, riffs and lead lines blending in the steady sway of the deceptively patient chorus groove. All four cuts hover between 4:50 and 5:50, “Bezoar” being the shortest and “Rheap” the longest on either end, but there’s a decent amount of diversity between them, the trio shifting in pace and focus, adding a touch of psychedelia to the back-half build of “Rheap” before giving over chug-happy starts and stops of “Aegeless” and the ensuing fullness of the chorus that derives therefrom. McPhaill complements this patience with a flurry of snare hits under the lines, “I am the first and the last/The wheat and the chaff/When all the cities crumble/I’ll still be standing,” as the track opens to one of the EP’s most evocative leads.

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