Release
date: October 20th 2015. Label: Art As Catharsis /
FALSExIDOL Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Deadwood
To Worms – Tracklisting
1.Slow
spring
2.Burnt
by time
3.Deadwood
to worms
4.High
priests and petty thieves
5.If
I'm in luck I might get picked up (Betty Davis cover)
Band
Members:
Dave:
guitar
Jamie:
vox 1
Gully:
bass
Michael:
drums
Monster-D:
guitar
Kegan:
vox 2
Review:
Space
Bong play the sort of music that would scare people of a nervous
disposition with their intoxicating mix of sludge, drone, stoner,
crust and black metal combined with the some of the bleakest doom you
can imagine. Having gained a sizeable following upon the release of
their debut album in 2009, Space Bong follow it up with their second
full length Deadwood To Worms and this album is going to get them
even more riff worshipping fans.
Deadwood
To Worms follows up from their mini EP In Doom We Crust which was
released earlier this year and continues their rich vein of blackened
sludge to the extreme. Much like Eyehategod and the much missed Iron
Monkey, this is a bleaker than bleak noise with so much hate that
it's infectious.
Opening
up the album with the monolithic Slow Spring gets things started in
the most misanthropic way possible with the opening riffs spewing as
much hatred as possible. When the blackened vocals kick in, things
get even nastier and the intoxicating and vile atmosphere on the song
marches on with an unsurpassable level of dread pervading and the
riffs on Slow Spring are so remorsefully negative but also have a
hypnotising effect that makes them feel strangely uplifting after a
while and basking in this negativity is something that Space Bong do
extremely well.
This
is the perfect way to open the album and lays Space Bongs agenda
firmly on the table. The band have shot an accompanying short film
for the track that every fan should check out as it is as crushing
and mesmerising as the song and has to be seen to be believed such is
its complete headfuck of a concept with stunningly horrific visuals
that have to be seen to be believed and visuals that complement the
song perfectly as its negativity burns as deeply into your psyche as
the songs does.
Burnt
By Time is no less hateful and again when the mammoth strung out
opening riff dominates into life over a surge of feedback and the
pounding drums, defiant snarling and screeching of the dual vocals
kick in (and the contrast the differing vocals are pitted against
each other works well) there really is no escape from the relentless
heaviness and nobody listening would want to escape from that
heaviness to be honest such is its power in the hands of Space Bong.
The phenomenal guitar solo towards the end of Burnt By Time fully
seals the deal that you are listening to sludge metal perfection.
The
rest of Deadwood To Worms is no less intense and hateful with the
albums title track being a nihilistic slice of pounding riff laden
brutality laced with some smoke and hate filled epic grooves complete
with some of their abominable vocal assaults while Deadwood To Worms
finishes off with the brilliantly heavy High Priests And Petty
Thieves and a cover of If I'm Lucky I Might Get Picked Up by Betty
Davis that is fully given the Space Bong treatment to the full
extent.
Space
Bong have taken the extremity of their debut and upped it to an even
more extreme degree and Deadwood To Worms should see them playing to
more and more people eager to worship their blackened sludgy doom and
its epic riffs. A magnificent album and one that revels triumphantly
in its its negative outlook and execution.
Words
by Gavin Brown
Thanks
to Lachlan at Art As Catharsis for the promo. Deadwood to Worms will
be available to buy on DD/Vinyl from Art As Catharsis / FALSExIDOLRecords from October 20th 2015
Links: