Wooden Earth want to be the fast band playing your slow show. The Dallas, Texas, outfit founded by guitarist Devin Moreno and drummer/vocalist Griffin Thomas have undergone some changes since their 2019 single “Fangs” (review here), and they’ve got the new five-tracker Sun City EP and two new band members to prove it. The former duo/now-four-piece rounded out by guitarist Aaron Longoria and bassist Tyler DeRosa recorded and mixed with Michael Briggs at Civil Audio, and they pull distinctly away from the fuzz of Wooden Earth‘s prior offering in favor of a sharper, sometimes metal, sometimes punk approach.

Those aspects were certainly in “Fangs” as well, but it’s a question of where the focus lies, and whether it’s the escapist punk of the party-ready title-track (video premiere below) or the Saviours-style thrash of “Feral King” just before and the lacing, almost Shadows Fall-esque bite of “Carnal Spell” after — riffy though it is, they even have a breakdown — Wooden Earth set their copious Orange amps to nefarious purposes in a showcase of intent that is meaner all around and sets them apart all the more from the grooves proffered by the heavy rockers with whom they’d share a bill.

Sometimes you remake your band and you’re a different band, and sometimes you end up staying the same band with a shifted dynamic. The aggression Wooden Earth bring forth on “Carnal Spell” and closer “Sordid Black” isn’t so radically removed from the shouty opener “Dead Era (Bleach)” or even the more melodic “Feral King,” when you get right down to it, but to sit and listen to these songs as compared to 2018’s debut Waves of Smoke EP, with its boogie aspirations, and yes, it sounds like a different group of players in no small part because it is. Sun City turns quickly and careens, strikes out at the listener in a way that’s too clean to be grunge, too rock to just be metal and too thrash to be just stoner.

The band, then, would seem to have found a balance of elements that work in favor of their individuality, and if their intention was to set themselves apart, these tracks accomplish that with efficiency and escape clear in under 20 minutes at a run. They leave one curious how they might sustain the nothing-over-four-minutes-long ethic over the course of a full-length and still carry forward the underlying variety of approach here (I suspect it would be a short full-length, duh), but most importantly, despite bringing in two new band members and experiencing the inevitable shift in dynamic as a result of that, Wooden Earth sound sure of their process and ready to find out.

Sun City is out now on all and sundry digital platforms, and streaming at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy the “Sun City” video below:

Wooden Earth, “Sun City” video premiere

https://youtu.be/SSccbGaBAh8

Lyrics:

I can’t believe that there is a place we can leave so far from grace. When will you see its easy for me to pack up my things for Sun City.

I am the one who stares at the sun. Bring it all back to what it was.

The debut music video of our title track, SUN CITY!

Huge thanks to All Hallows Productions for working on this project with us.

Thank you for listening, thank you for sharing, and thank you for your support!

SUN CITY is out on all streaming platforms and available on our Bandcamp for $1.00

Show announcements, new merch, and more new music coming y’all’s way.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Michael Briggs at Civil Audio. Art by Cameron Hinojosa.

Music: Devin Moreno, Aaron Longoria
Music/Lyrics: Griffin Thomas
Lyrics (Carnal Spell): Austin Contreras

Wooden Earth are:
Drums/Vocals – Griffin Thomas
Guitar – Devin Moreno
Bass – Tyler DeRosa
Guitar – Aaron Longoria

Wooden Earth, Sun City (2021)

Wooden Earth on Facebook

Wooden Earth on Instagram

Wooden Earth on Bandcamp

Dallas, Texas, heavy rockers Wooden Earth are gearing up to release their new digital single ‘Fangs’ next Friday, but if you’re feeling fancy — and I know you are — you can stream the track on the Bandcamp player below. Recorded as the duo of guitarist Devin Moreno and drummer/vocalist Griffin Thomas, it is the follow-up to the band’s 2018 debut EP, Waves of Smoke, and finds them working along similar principles of putting their priorities in line as being groove, heft and a tight-knit execution of songwriting. The EP dug into some bluesy vibes, and though “Fangs” keeps the boogie and the periodic use of vocal layering/harmonies, it’s also somewhat more progressive feeling. Or at very least creatively willful.

Thomas and Moreno have been together as Wooden Earth for two years, and in that time they’ve had three bass players come and go as they’ve tried to assemble a touring lineup. Some you win, some you lose, but if “Fangs” is their way of testing out life as a duo, a lack of low end doesn’t seem to be holding them up at all. Rather, in three and a half minutes, “Fangs” turns from upping the tempo on some Sleep-style riffing to play up a shuffle to paying that off with an Elder-esque turn of melody and drive in the second half of the song. All the while, it’s quick, and it moves. There’s an organ featured in there, unless it’s cleverly layered guitar effects — always possible — and though structurally it’s not such an outlandish turn from Waves of Smoke before it, in that melody and in Thomas‘ pulled-back-on-the-burl vocal approach, one can hear the sound of the band beginning to take shape. It’s nothing but encouraging.

They’ve been hither and yon around Texas for the last couple years, but especially if they decide post-“Fangs” to make it work live as a duo, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they started getting out beyond Lone Star borders and doing more tours. I don’t know what their plans are ultimately, but a debut album is an inevitability of the path they’re on, and “Fangs” only portrays them as more ready for that task than they were even a year ago.

If you’re in the Dallas area (and aren’t we all, really?), they’ll be at The Blue Light on Jan. 10 with kingpins Mothership as well as Bull by the Horn and Holy Death Trio. Got that event page right here: https://www.facebook.com/events/435447817399515/.

They offer some short comment below and there’s more from the PR wire, but of course the reason we’re all here is the song itself, so that’s right under these lines for your consumption. You’re almost there. Just keep going.

Good.

Enjoy:

Wooden Earth on “Fangs”:

We’re happy to be releasing our new song FANGS! The song is about conquering your reality with a blood thirst to survive. Pushing forward and building something great. Being optimistic when the world is at its darkest.

Dallas Texas WOODEN EARTH will release their new single “Fangs” on December 13th 2019.

Since their formation in 2017 the group has not only started to craft concept records starting with 2018’s Waves Of Smoke EP, but also written a yet-to-be-released comic book depicting the story behind the band. To become road dogs they have had to stay resilient, the core duo of drummer/vocalist Griffin Thomas and guitarist Devin Moreno have been through three bassists and are currently touring as a two-piece. Currently the band is preparing for a several week tour in early 2020 as well as the release of their debut album. This new record will see them building on the controlled chaos that is their sound and will build on of over a decade of playing together.

Wooden Earth is:
Griffin Thomas – Drums/Vocals
Devin Moreno – Guitar

Wooden Earth on Thee Facebooks

Wooden Earth on Instagram

Wooden Earth on Bandcamp