Austin-based Mark Deutrom and North Carolinians The Asound team up for a split 7″ released through Tsuguri Records, the imprint helmed by Asound bassist Jon Cox. One track from each outfit is included, Deutrom — who has a new band going called Bellringer (more on them to come) and has collaborated with no shortage of others but is probably best known for playing bass in the Melvins during their Stoner Witch era — tossing in a quick, punkish burst of an A-side in “Mini-Skirt,” while The Asound let their riffs breathe a little more on side B with “The Chief of Thieves,” a steady roll captured raw and suited to the 7″ form. Sound-wise, it’s not so different from their recent live split with Lenoir Swingers Club (review here), but the output is clear enough to indicate a studio recording, even if it’s one still punk enough to warrant the black and while cover art on the 7″ sleeve — a traditionalism well suited to both inclusions.

Deutrom reportedly recorded “Mini-Skirt” at the same time he tracked the jazzy solo offering Brief Sensuality and Western Violence (review here), and with Aaron Lack on drums, what might’ve been left off the record on account of not fitting sonically earns a distinctive place here via thickened shuffle and unceasing forward motion. Easy enough to be reminded of Butthole Surfers and the Melvins both, but “Mini-Skirt” makes its point in the unflinching, almost garage-sounding nature and in its quick-turning solo culmination. Where the record from whence it doesn’t come was a headier affair, “Mini-Skirt” is simple and decidedly anti-progressive, a sprint put to tape. It contrasts effectively with The Asound‘s “The Chief of Thieves,” which keeps to a slower pace, but the two find common ground in their rougher-edged production an in the density of their tones, the fervency of their crash and the efficiency with which they deal out their riffing.

Guitarist/vocalist Chad Wyrick leads the proceedings for The Asound, with Cox and drummer Michael Crump following the lurching groove set by the guitars more or less for the duration. It’s a riff worth basing a song around, and even the solo section in the second half seems to base its rhythm around that same movement, the vocals by then having dropped out to let the band get to the heart of the matter. No question the B-side is longer than the A, but in the context of what they’re doing, Wyrick‘s singing over the wailing distortion recalling some of Floor‘s appeal in combining doom and more accessible sonic forms, I don’t think I’d call “The Chief of Thieves” less productive than its companion, only going for — and, I’d argue, hitting the mark — on a different side of the same style. The Asound end after all that rolling on a quick-fading feedback that calls to mind the constraints of the format. That is, there’s nothing sonically to make me think that riff couldn’t have gone on another seven minutes or so.

But then it would be an entirely different kind of release — and Deutrom would probably need more than one song — so I’ll instead take the tight-packed grooves on the platter itself to stand as a visual metaphor for what “The Chief of Thieves” has to offer during playback. The 7″ is limited to 200 copies in green or black vinyl, and while it might be a stopgap for both parties concerned, it also asks next to no indulgence on the part of its audience and easily proves worth the time it takes to listen.

Mark Deutrom & The Asound, Split 7″ (2014)

Mark Deutrom website

Mark Deutrom on Bandcamp

The Asound on Thee Facebooks

The Asound on Bandcamp

Tsuguri Records website

Phoenix duo Goya and Seattle’s Wounded Giant make fitting partners. Their new split 12″ on STB Records finds them distinct enough to be immediately distinguished one from the other, but still with enough in common in their proliferation of plus-sized riffery not to be mismatched. In the case of Goya, the split follows their late-2013 full-length debut, 777, and the preceding 2012 demo (review here), and the (now) duo of guitarist/bassist/vocalist Jeff Owens and drummer Nick Lose have already seen fit to issue a follow-up EP, released Dec. 9, called Satan’s Fire. Their inclusion is the 14-minute plodder “No Place in the Sky,” where Wounded Giant deliver two tracks, “The Room of the Torch” and “Dystheist,” totaling a minute less. The Seattle three-piece of bassist Dylan A. Rogers, guitarist/vocalist Bobby James and drummer Alex Bytnar put out their debut full-length, Lightning Medicine, last year and supported it with an appearance at this year’s Hoverfest in Portland, Oregon. All told, the split is a 27-minute showcase for two up-and-coming acts who by all accounts have their sounds together and who’ve been met with no shortage of “whoa no shit heavy riffs bro!”-type hyperbole. Fair enough.

STB‘s endorsement is noteworthy in itself. The label has rightfully earned a reputation over the last two years for both its ear and the quality of its vinyl product. I don’t think they’ve put anything out that hasn’t been gone shortly thereafter, and releases from Ancient Warlocks, Geezer, Curse the Son and Druglord have put them on the map as a considerable presence in American underground heavy proffering a new wave of stoner rock in which it seems only right to count Goya and Wounded Giant as participants. The former are granted side A of the split, and they use their time wisely, “No Place in the Sky” building from a fade-in of feedback fuzz to a languid march that takes hold in full tone at 1:40. Their album and new EP are less so, but Goya‘s demo was almost singly indebted sonically to Electric Wizard, bringing a rawer feel to the Witchcult Today style, and “No Place in the Sky” works in a similar vein, its rhythmic swing and Owens‘ buried-under-a-wall-of-distortion echoing vocals both seem to be culled from Jus Oborn‘s book of spells. They’re hardly the only band out there at this point working under that influence, and they bring more to the presentation than many on “No Place in the Sky,” which lumbers through verse and chorus hooks en route to a bridge of Iommic layered soloing that very subtly hints at the level of construction at work in their sound. Their songwriting, likewise, finds a sense of accomplishment in returning after that jam to the verse and chorus — the lines “It doesn’t really matter/Nothing fucking matters” standing out — before jamming its way into oblivion and a finish of over a minute solid of sustained amp hum and feedback. Take that, ears.

Classic metal is the first vibe Wounded Giant give off on “The Room of the Torch” (7:07), James‘ guitar riffing out a declaration reminiscent of Iron Maiden, but that’s really only part of the story. Half-time drums give the beginnings of Wounded Giant‘s first inclusion a nod of its own with a punchy bassline and an emergent, airy lead that adds to the languid feel. A slowdown before two minutes in marks the transition into a doomier verse — not quite as Wizardly as Goya, but that’s still a factor — with shouts echoing over downer riffs that pick up to a more upbeat thrust of a chorus. The back and forth plays out until shortly before five minutes in, Bytnar‘s kick, double-kick only seconds before, provides the shift to the faster progression serving as the apex of the track. Like Goya, they rein it back in to finish out, albeit more subtly with just a slowdown instrumental reference to the verse riff that gives way to fading feedback and start of “Dystheist” (6:08), which sounds like a crowd shout but is gone soon enough into neo-burly chugging and more restrained vocals, compressed and following the riff. A more open chorus arrives underscored by more double-kick and a metallic feel met head-on with heavy rock tonality, the flourish of the preceding cut stripped away in favor of a more forward attack, which Wounded Giant handle well. A rawer shout, almost a scream, finishes the chorus and that will be the endpoint of “Dystheist” as well on the second cycle through — the structure no less frill-less than the sound, capping the split in strong, commanding form.

As the goal of the release, already noted, is to highlight what Goya and Wounded Giant have going sonically and to keep their momentum in motion, I see no way in which the split doesn’t meet that target. Both Goya‘s track and Wounded Giant‘s tracks deliver heavy-hitting, solid genre-minded executions and, paired up, they offer each band’s quickly-massing audience to encounter the other, which, you know, is the whole idea. The temptation with splits is always to pit one act against the other, to determine a “winner” like they’re in competition. Fine. That’s a lot of fun, but truth be told, nobody here loses, and it doesn’t seem like Goya or Wounded Giant have any interest in duking it out so much as allying themselves to further their individual causes. Score one for riff diplomacy.

Goya & Wounded Giant, Split (2015)

Goya on Thee Facebooks

Goya on Bandcamp

Wounded Giant on Thee Facebooks

Wounded Giant on Bandcamp

STB Records on Bandcamp

STB Records store

I mean, duh, right? This one’s an absolute no brainer. You’ve got Floridian duo Holly Hunt and Northern Irish three-piece Slomatics — both of whom utterly destroy — packed together on a split 7″? AND Holly Hunt‘s song is called “Bill Ward?” It’s like the easiest sell in the world. What more could you possibly ask of heaviness than that?

Fucking Slomatics, man. Every time I hear that band, it’s just a reminder of how much more I need to hear that band. I’m still kicking myself for not having the cash to shell out and purchase a proper CD copy of their Feb. 2014 full-length, Estron — though it’s audible on Bandcamp here — let alone reviewing it. And Holly Hunt released their Prometheus EP this summer on Other Electricities and like everything they’ve done up to now, it just crushes. Good bands pairing up to do cool shit. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Other Electricities will have the split out on Dec. 2 in the US. Black Bow Records — the imprint helmed by Conan guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis — is handling the UK/EU release as well. All parties worthy of support.

Info and audio previews follow. Fucking a:

Slomatics/Holly Hunt – Split 7”

Two sides of heavy from two parts the world! Holly Hunt’s “Bill Ward” on the A side – an authentic testimonial to the duo’s live sound and energy. Slomatics’ “Ulysses, My Father” on the flip – a sludgy sonic tale. Miami meets Belfast, all take cover! Mastered by James Plotkin. Out Dec 2nd via Other Electricities / Sonic TITAN (US) and Black Bow (UK/EU).

Audio previews/artwork:
Holly Hunt – “Bill Ward”
Slomatics – “Ulysses, My Father”

Formed in Belfast late 2004, Slomatics aim to reduce riffs to a primal state of heaviness, to produce music which whilst imploding under its own weight, creates a joyous and euphoric state of wellbeing which can only be obtained with a slew of vintage amplifiers, fuzz pedals, analog synths and an alarming array of percussion instruments. This has endured through UK tours, gigs in Europe, four albums and a mountain of split/vinyl/cassette releases. Showing no signs of slowing down, the band will bring 2014 to a close with a seismic split release with Miami bruisers Holly Hunt. The band’s new lastest album, Estron, was released February 2014 to universal praise, including the Quietus best of 2014 and was nominated for the Northern Ireland Music Prize 2014.

Drummer Beatriz Monteavaro (ex Floor/Cavity) and guitarist Gavin Perry have demonstrated themselves as a loud and lumbering giant of the Miami music scene. The visceral impact of sound – the raising heart rate, neck chills, the warmth spreading throughout your torso – this is Holly Hunt’s raison d’être. Holly Hunt champions heavy metal’s potential to transcend genre and become a physical experience. Though stripped down to the most bare essentials, the duo’s innate technical chops, strong dialogue, and incredibly deep relationship to their gear produces a sound and style far beyond rudimentary tags like “heavy,” “hard,” or “brutal.”

http://hollyhunt.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HOLLYHUNT.LTD
http://slomatics.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slomatics/196382747053529
http://other-electricities.com/album/oe040
http://blackbowrecords.bigcartel.com/

Slomatics, “Ulysses, My Father” Preview

Holly Hunt, “Bill Ward” Preview

Belgian crusher duo SardoniS have teamed with countrymen instrumentalists Drums are for Parades for a new split LP released as part of Hypertension Records‘ The Abyss Stares Back series. It is a one-time pressing of 500 copies on 180g vinyl, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. For SardoniS, this is the third split in a little over two years, since in 2012 just before their second full-length, II, came out, they partnered with Tank86, and shortly after, with Eternal Elysium, but for Drums are for Parades, it seems to be their first outing since 2011’s Imperium, though their Soundcloud page is littered with live tracks and other sundry whathaveyou.

What’s the point? Heavy vinyl. SardoniS‘ thing is riffy bludgeoning and Drums are for Parades get down with some more psychedelic, key-laden meandering, so the two are well-suited to play off each other’s style, and since I know nothing goes down quite as smooth as a large plastic platter these days, it seemed worth noting the release of the split.

So here goes:

New vinyl out now! (+free 7″)

The Drums are for Parades / SardoniS split LP is out now! You can order here; http://sardonis.bigcartel.com

We have some vinyl packages with shirt or hoodie. And we throw in a free SardoniS/Tank86 7″ for the first 25 orders.

This is the 3rd release of the split series “The Abyss Stares Back” by Hypertension Records. It’s is a one-time pressing of 500 copies on 180 gr vinyl in a thick reversed cardboardsleeve + insert + presspictures + stickers

Other titles in the series “THE ABYSS STARES BACK” are:

1- Amenra / vvovnds – split LP
2- Primitive Man / Hessian – split LP
3- Drums are for Parades / SardoniS – split LP
4- Alkerdeel / Nihill – split LP
5- Scott Kelly / Syndrome – split LP

Thanks for supporting the brotherhood of SardoniS!

www.sardonis666.be
www.facebook.com/sardonis666
http://sardonis.bandcamp.com
http://sardonis.bigcartel.com

Sardonis/Drums are for Parades, Split LP (2014)