Release Date: March 28th 2022. Record Label: Doomsayer Records. Format: DD
Space Age - Tracklisting
1.Leeches 04:02
2.Under The Ground 03:25
3.Strip 03:32
4.100 Feet Tall 03:51
5.Malice 03:11
Members
Spencer Robinson - Everything
Review
Into The Valley Of Death is the new Psych/Stoner Metal project from Spencer Robinson. Spencer spent five years playing with Psych Rockers The Lords Of Altamont before moving onto forming new projects such as this and Pegzilla who we featured earlier this week.
Into The Valley Of Death debut EP Space Age was released back in Sept 2021 and has recently been reissued by Doomsayer Records. Since the EP originally passed me by and Spencer asked me to check out this release here's my thoughts.
The EP sees Into The Valley Of Death become part of the fabric of Psych Stoner Metal. As the band plays low sounding and distorted “AMPLIFIER” sounds that we expect to hear from bands such as this. Influenced by the likes of SLEEP, Black Sabbath, Monster Magnet and The Lords Of Altamont. There is a dirty and seedy Psych Rock groove heard from start to finish with bleak desolate Desert Rock passages allowing the band to have a very deft touch.
The lyrics I do feel are inspired by the classic heyday of 90s Stoner Metal which isn’t surprising with Spencer’s tenure with The Lords Of Altamont. The music is varied and interesting with a bleaker sense of music that I didn’t expect especially on the first two opening songs of Leaches and Under The Ground.
Distortion is a big part of this release and the heavy guitars just adds to the cool “seediness” of the EP’s overall sound. The songs are deliberately lean, mean and slow allowing Into The Valley Of Death to have a more “nihilistic” view on things compared to other bands/projects such as this.
The instrumental work is daring, bold and engaging throughout though the overall journey of the EP maybe too dark for some to encounter. The second half of the EP is even more daring with Spencer adapting a “Lou Reed” style persona with his vocals and lyrics shining through on tracks such as: Strip and 100 Feet Tall.
Space Age is a gloriously different and darker style of “Apocalyptic” based Psych/Stoner Metal that I hope we'll see more of in the future.
Words by Steve Howe
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