Release
date: October 21st 2016. Label: Grimoire Records. Format: CD/DD
Vortex
6 – Tracklisting
1.Thought
Eater - Vortex 6 03:06
2.Thought
Eater - Crystal Maze 05:17
3.Thought
Eater - Crushing Metaphysical Crisis 05:20
4.Thought
Eater - Gift of Death 03:48
5.Iron
Jawed Guru - Black Fortress 04:24
6.Iron
Jawed Guru - Emerald Seer 03:10
7.Iron
Jawed Guru - Glaive 02:57
8.Iron
Jawed Guru - Widow of the Web 06:23
Thought
Eater - Band Members:
Douglas
Griffith (guitar)
Darin
Tambascio (12 string bass, 12 string guitar on "Gift of Death")
Bobby
Murray (drums)
Iron
Jawed Guru - Band Members
Mike
Lorenzen (guitar, octave pedal)
Roy
Douglas Brewer (drums)
Review:
Vortex
6 is a split album release between two Instrumental Sludge/Stoner
Metal Bands. Thought Eater and Iron Jawed Guru. Both bands play very
different music to each other.
Thought
Eater play Sludge/Stoner Metal with a Progressive Math Rock feel to
their music. Parts Black Sabbath and High On Fire but with a more
experimental edge.
Iron
Jawed Guru play a more Stoner/Post-Rock/Post-Metal sound that gives
them a lot of scope to play with their music.
Thought
Eater's side is a colossally heavy affair with the band showing their
passion for all things progressive. They do play some intriguing
riffs and they excel in changing the tempo from fast-paced
Sludge/Stoner riffs to the more classic sounding Doom Metal sounds
that appear from time-to-time.
Crystal
Maze and Crushing Metaphysical Crisis are the standout tracks where
Thought Eater excel the most as they create some fantastic original
music of their own. A doomy psychedelic affair with moments of heavy
progressive doom based sounds. Thought Eater have quite a demonic
playful vibe to their music. Parts of their music is slightly creepy
but with a sense of huge fun as well. .
Iron
Jawed Guru is a duo who excel in confusing the hell out of the
audience. Do they play Stoner Rock, Post-Metal, Prog Rock, Psych
Rock!!!! - It's hard to say as the band play a mixture of those
genres and then some. Their side of the split is just as crazy and
experimental as Thought Eater though it's more focused and perhaps
more riff-orientated.
The
band's first track – Black Fortress – has shades of Kyuss, Karma
To Burn and Russian Circles running through it. It's quite a dark
song to open with but it has some great riffs driving the song to
it's natural conclusion.
Second
track – Emerald Seer – is a more stripped back affair with the
band opting for a faster style of Instrumental Stoner/Sludge Rock
with moments of psychedelic rock being added to great effect.
Third
track – Glaive – carries on the same vibe as Emerald Seer but the
band adding a Desert Rock groove with shades of classic 90s sounding
Stoner Rock/Metal.
The
final track – Widow Of The Web – is perhaps Iron Jawed Guru's
standout song on the album. It offers more of the same sounds heard
on their previous tracks but on a more epic and experimental scale.
Vortex
6 is one of the more intriguing and exciting split albums I've heard
this year. Both bands have created an excellent slice of Experimental
Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs. It's hard to say which side I dig the
most. One moment it's Thought Eater and the next it's Iron Jawed
Guru. I will say that Vortex 6 is a great album to have your in
collection if you're a serious fan of Instrumental Sludge/Stoner
Metal.
Excellent
and Highly Recommended.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thought
Eater Links:
