Doom metal project SLOWER (w/ Monolord, Fu Manchu, Year of the Cobra) shares debut single off new album "Rage and Ruin" on Heavy Psych Sounds.

Doom metal project SLOWER (with members of Fu Manchu, Year Of The Cobra and Monolord) present their new single "Hellfire", an original track taken from their upcoming sophomore album "Rage and Ruin" to be released this November 1st on Heavy Psych Sounds.

Initially an all-star tribute to Slayer, SLOWER released their debut album "Slower" (also featuring Laura Pleasants of Kylesa, Scott Reeder of Fireball Ministry and Peder Bergstrand of Lowrider) in the winter of 2024, which was hailed as "a real headspinner of an album” by Metal Hammer and “an aural beating of a whole different kind” by Metal Injection.

Hot on the heels of this success, the now trio of Bob Balch (Fu Manchu) on guitar, Amy Tung Barrysmith (Year of the Cobra) on bass and vocals and Esben Willems (Monolord) on drums is ready to release their awaited sophomore album "Rage and Ruin" on Heavy Psych Sounds. The album comprises two Slayer covers ("Chemical Warfare" and "Haunting The Chapel") and four original creations, all dark, crushing and haunting doom crowned by Amy Tung-Barrysmith’s alluring vocals.

Stream Slower's brand new single "Hellfire" 

About the new album, Bob Balch says: "When we started this album, the original intention was to cover Slayer's EP “Haunting The Chapel” in its entirety. We started with “Chemical Warfare” then went on to “Haunting The Chapel”, but once we got to “Captor Of Sin” we realized that tune didn’t want to be slowed down at all. So we started writing our own songs and I’m glad we did. The result is “Rage And Ruin”. Two sides with Slayer songs in the middle, bookended by Slower originals. We are super proud of this record and can’t wait for you to hear it!."

Amy Tung Barrysmith adds: "When we started writing originals, I wanted to try to keep to the same themes that Slayer wrote about. There are a lot of songs about war in Slayer’s songs and when I heard the Hellfire riff, the first image that came to mind was just this bright red fire raining down from the heavens. With all of the upheaval in the world today, it seemed like a fitting topic. What makes this song slightly unique, though, is that I came up with the title, Hellfire, first from that initial image I had in my head. Writing the lyrics after that was easy."

SLOWER "Rage and Ruin" - Out November 1st on Heavy Psych Sounds - International preorder

TRACKLIST:

1. Hellfire
2. Chemical Warfare (Slayer cover)
3. Gates Of Hell
4. Sins Of The Dead
5. Haunting The Chapel (Slayer cover)
6. Rage And Ruin

About the origins of SLOWER, guitarist and project initiator Bob Balch explains: “The idea for the Slower project started around four years ago. I was teaching a student how to play “South Of Heaven” by Slayer but she was a beginner so we slowed it down. I thought that sounded cool so I tuned down to B standard and tried it. I added some drums and thought “someone in the doom community should do this and name it Slower.”

A few years later I befriended Steven “Thee Slayer Hippy” Hanford, best known for his work as the drummer in the influential Oregon punk band Poison Idea. He was backstage at a Fu Manchu show. Oddly enough I was wearing a Poison Idea shirt and he told me that my shirt sucks. I asked who he was and why he was in our backstage. He told me and I felt stupid. We started drinking whiskey and talking about music. We stayed in touch over the next year or so and during Covid I told him about my Slower idea. He asked me to send him tracks. I waited too long because the day I sent the tracks he passed away. Totally tragic. I’m glad I got to know him even for a few years. He was a monster musician with a giant heart. He will be greatly missed.

I shelved the project for a while after that. One day Esben from Monolord posted about musical collaborations. I love Monolord so I thought what the hell. I sent him some tracks and he killed it on drums. So I sent more. Then more. Shortly after that, we started reaching out to other musicians to get them involved. That’s how we ended up with this lineup. Everyone that contributed completely knocked it out of the park and I can’t thank them enough.

This project has been a long time coming and I’m beyond stoked on how it turned out. Without all of the players involved, Steven Hanford and my baritone Reverend guitar it wouldn’t have happened. Thanks to everyone involved and I hope you dig it. Look out for shows because they will happen!”

SLOWER is:

Esben Willems - drums, percussions
Amy Tung Barrysmith - vocals, bass, piano
Bob Balch - guitars

SLOWER links

Instagram ⎜ Spotify

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the details.

SLOWER - Slower (Album Review)

Release Date: 26th Janaury 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

SLOWER - Slower - Tracklisting

War Ensemble - (E Willems, A Barrysmith, B Balch and P Bergstrand)

The Antichrist - (E Willems, A Barrysmith, B Balch and P Bergstrand)

Blood Red - (E Willems, A Barrysmith, B Balch and P Bergstrand)

Dead Skin Mask - (E Willems, A Barrysmith, B Balch and P Bergstrand)

South Of Heaven - (E Willems, L Pleasants, B Balch and S Reeder)

Members

Bob Balch - Guitars

Amy Barrysmith - Vocals

Laura Pleasants - Vocals

Peder Bergstrand - Bass

Scott Reeder - Bass

Esben Willems - Drums

Review

SLOWER is the new supergroup or collaborative project featuring members from bands such as FU MANCHU, Monolord, Year Of The Cobra, Lowrider and KYLESA. Their self-titled debut album is a tribute album to the mighty SLAYER where SLOWER take some of their most famous and heaviest tracks which is then given a Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal makeover. The music is stripped back and slowed right down which feels more aligned to the actual members' respective bands with an atmospheric drugged out sound throughout. 

Amy Barrysmith (Year Of The Cobra) provides vocal duties for the majority of the album with Laura Pleasants (KYLESA) taking over on the final track South Of Heaven. Amy puts in a truly magnificent vocal performance on the tracks that she appears with Laura providing superb support within South Of Heaven. The vocals are obviously a stark contrast to the original versions by SLAYER. The songs sound quite different with SLOWER playing a stripped back and droned out style of music which only draws out the finest sounds from the Doom/Sludge/Stoner based scene. There's a slight Post-Doom or warped Psychedelic sound which first comes into prominence on War Ensemble which runs past the ten minutes mark.

Subtle flashes of Atmospheric Sludge Metal allows SLOWER to play ferocious and aggressive levels of sound though which are never going to match the violent depths that SLAYER are rightly known for. The down-tuned flow of the song is quite a genius touch which allows each band member to to play their part in delivering music that sounds very original at times especially on War Ensemble, The Antichrist and Dead Skin Mask. Though, all of the songs are equally as good as each other. 

The songs are further modernised by SLOWER adding Heavy Psychedelic and Space Rock sounds throughout the album whilst still keeping the harsh vision and flow of the original tracks. SLOWER perhaps play a more Progressive style that some SLAYER fans may disagree with. However, this album brings a more cinematic build-up and quality to the songs which is helped by the long drawn out style of grooves that can even be dramatically bleak in places. 

This album is part of the "LOW & SLOW" community of Doom/Stoner Metal which some of SLOWER members are prominent members of with their own respective bands. You can hear elements of almost every band within the creative fabric of the record. So if you're a fan of certain bands but not others then you'll find a guitar riff, drum beat, bass line or intense vocals that will easily draw you into SLOWER's stripped back and slow-paced world.

SLOWER's self-titled album is one of the most original "covers' albums I've heard next to BEASTWARS most recent album Tyranny Of Distance. Another brilliant and similar release was a Doom/Stoner Metal band releasing a "covers" album but with their own unique style. This maybe a "one-off" creative exercise for SLOWER but I'll always be hopeful for further exciting releases from the whole line-up of SLOWER. 

Slower is an unmissable release and one that needs serious investigation by the legions of SLAYER fans and from the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal scene as well. Awesome stuff and another sublime release from Heavy Psych Sounds. So you know with Heavy Psych Sounds behind this great release that it's going to sound bloody LOUD, BRILLIANT and AGGRESSIVE throughout. 

Words by Steve Howe 

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Slower will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from January 26th 2024.

Links

Instagram

Heavy supergroup SLOWER (w/ members of Fu Manchu, Kylesa, Monolord, Lowrider, Kyuss, Year of the Cobra) share first track off upcoming all-Slayer cover album, out January 26th on Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

a

Doom metal supergroup SLOWER — the brand new all-Slayer cover project formed by members of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Kylesa, Monolord, Lowrider and Year Of The Cobra — unleash the crushing first single taken from their upcoming self-titled album, due out January 26th on Heavy Psych Sounds.

The full lineup behind the glacial glory of SLOWER features six major players from the international stoner and doom metal scene: drummer Esben Willems of Monolord, bassist Peder Bergstrand of Lowrider, bassist Scott Reeder of Kyuss, vocalist Amy Barrysmith of Year Of The Cobra, vocalist Laura Pleasants of Kylesa and guitarist Bob Balch of Fu Manchu. This unique recording will catch all heavy and doom metal fans off guard, delivering five fully reinvented Slayer classics with a gloomier and heavier-than-thou atmosphere and compelling ethereal vocals from Kylesa and Year of the Cobra frontwomen. Or as Metal Injection editors would say: "an aural beating of a whole different kind."

Hear Slower's doomy-as-hell cover of Slayer's War Ensemble below

"War Ensemble was the first song I was approached with for this project," says Year of the Cobra vocalist Barrysmith. "The only direction I got was to 'have fun and be creative', so I decided to look at it as if it were an original piece, not a cover, and not Slayer. Pretty easy to do, honestly. The riffs slowed down really created a life of their own. It's genius in so many ways! From there, creating the melody and harmony lines and fitting in the lyrics came quickly and easily. I'm excited to finally share this with everyone and grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with such inspiring and talented musicians."

"I was 13 when Seasons In The Abyss came out," adds Fu Manchu guitarist and project initiator Bob Balch. "I had been playing guitar non-stop for a little over a year by then. I desperately wanted to play 'War Ensemble' but it was way too fast for me at the time. I had no idea how they jumped from string to string during that verse riff. Therefore, I really enjoyed digging into this tune and finally locking in that verse riff! I also think this song is a great representation of how we approached the rest of the record. Enjoy!"

About taking part in the project, Monolord drummer Esben Willems says: "When Bob first approached me with the idea and I heard his scratch guitars, my first thought was “This is genius”. Those iconic tracks we all know by heart suddenly unveiled an unexpected dimension. I’m really proud of how this turned out."

Lowrider bassist Peder Bergstrand adds: “This might be blasphemous considering the circumstances, but when Bob reached out and asked if I’d want to play bass on sludged-out Slayer covers, I had to admit some of these tracks were brand new to me. That made the experience even more special though, hearing and playing on the Slower version first, and then comparing to the original. Bob has really transformed these songs into something totally their own, and on a personal level I feel the rest of the band’s insane performances pushed me to my most inspired playing to date. So incredibly stoked for people to hear this album.”

SLOWER "Slower" - Out January 26th on Heavy Psych Sounds - International preorder - US preorder

TRACKLIST:

1. War Ensemble (E. Willems, P. Bergstrand, A. Barrysmith, B. Balch)
2. The Antichrist (E. Willems, P. Bergstrand, A. Barrysmith, B. Balch)
3. Blood Red (E. Willems, P. Bergstrand, A. Barrysmith, B. Balch)
4. Dead Skin Mask (E. Willems, P. Bergstrand, A. Barrysmith, B. Balch)
5. South of Heaven (E. Willems, S. Reeder, L. Pleasants, B. Balch)

Cover artwork by Peder Bergstrand

About this collaborative project, Fu Manchu guitarist Bob Balch says: “The idea for the SLOWER project started around four years ago. I was teaching a student how to play “South Of Heaven” by SLAYER but she was a beginner so we slowed it down. I thought that sounded cool so I tuned down to B standard and tried it. I added some drums and thought “someone in the doom community should do this and name it SLOWER.”

A few years later I befriended Steven “Thee Slayer Hippy” Hanford, best known for his work as the drummer in the influential Oregon punk band Poison Idea. He was backstage at a FU MANCHU show. Oddly enough I was wearing a POISON IDEA shirt and he told me that my shirt sucks. I asked who he was and why he was in our backstage. He told me and I felt stupid. We started drinking whiskey and talking about music. We stayed in touch over the next year or so and during Covid I told him about my SLOWER idea. He asked me to send him tracks. I waited too long because the day I sent the tracks he passed away. Totally tragic. I’m glad I got to know him even for a few years. He was a monster musician with a giant heart. He will be greatly missed.

I shelved the project for a while after that. One day Esben from MONOLORD posted about musical collaborations. I love MONOLORD so I thought what the hell. I sent him some tracks and he killed it on drums. So I sent more. Then more. Shortly after that, we started reaching out to other musicians to get them involved. That’s how we ended up with this lineup. Everyone that contributed completely knocked it out of the park and I can’t thank them enough.

This project has been a long time coming and I’m beyond stoked on how it turned out. Without all of the players involved, Steven Hanford and my baritone Reverend guitar it wouldn’t have happened. Thanks to everyone involved and I hope you dig it! I’m a giant SLAYER fan so it’s been a treat to dig into these classic songs. Hopefully, we can do another record in the near future.

Look out for shows because they will happen!”

SLOWER is:

Esben Willems (drums) Monolord
Peder Bergstrand (bass) Lowrider
Amy Barrysmith (vocals) Year of the Cobra
Laura Pleasants (vocals) Kylesa
Bob Balch (guitars) Fu Manchu
Scott Reeder (bass) Kyuss

SLOWER on Instagram

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Youtube

Heavy supergroup SLOWER (w/ members of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Kylesa, Lowrider, Monolord, Year of the Cobra) sign to Heavy Psych Sounds Records

Heavy Psych Sounds Records sign SLOWER — the brand new project "playing Slayer slow and low" with members of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Kylesa, Monolord, Lowrider and Year Of The Cobra — for the release of their debut album in early 2024!

About this collaborative project between major players from the international stoner and doom scene, Fu Manchu guitarist Bob Balch says:

“The idea for the SLOWER project started around four years ago. I was teaching a student how to play “South Of Heaven” by SLAYER but she was a beginner so we slowed it down. I thought that sounded cool so I tuned down to B standard and tried it. I added some drums and thought “someone in the doom community should do this and name it SLOWER.”

A few years later I befriended Steven “Thee Slayer Hippy” Hanford, best known for his work as the drummer in the influential Oregon punk band Poison Idea. He was backstage at a FU MANCHU show. Oddly enough I was wearing a POISON IDEA shirt and he told me that my shirt sucks. I asked who he was and why he was in our backstage. He told me and I felt stupid. We started drinking whiskey and talking about music. We stayed in touch over the next year or so and during Covid I told him about my SLOWER idea. He asked me to send him tracks. I waited too long because the day I sent the tracks he passed away. Totally tragic. I’m glad I got to know him even for a few years. He was a monster musician with a giant heart. He will be greatly missed.

I shelved the project for a while after that. One day Esben from MONOLORD posted about musical collaborations. I love MONOLORD so I thought what the hell. I sent him some tracks and he killed it on drums. So I sent more. Then more. Shortly after that, we started reaching out to other musicians to get them involved. That’s how we ended up with this lineup. Everyone that contributed completely knocked it out of the park and I can’t thank them enough.

This project has been a long time coming and I’m beyond stoked on how it turned out. Without all of the players involved, Steven Hanford and my baritone Reverend guitar it wouldn’t have happened. Thanks to everyone involved and I hope you dig it! I’m a giant SLAYER fan so it’s been a treat to dig into these classic songs. Hopefully, we can do another record in the near future.

Look out for shows because they will happen!”

First track and preorder coming on October 31st on www.heavypsychsounds.com, stay tuned!

SLOWER is:

Esben Willems (drums) Monolord
Peder Bergstrand (bass) Lowrider
Amy Barrysmith (vocals) Year of the Cobra
Laura Pleasants (vocals) Kylesa
Bob Balch (guitars) Fu Manchu
Scott Reeder (bass) Kyuss

SLOWER on Instagram

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the details.