Morass Of Molasses - The Ties That Bind (Album Review)

Release date: June 7^th 2019. Label: Wasted State Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Ties That Bind – Tracklisting

1.The Darkening 01:12

2.Woe Betide 03:54

3.Death Of All 04:21 video

4.Estranger 06:24

5.Legend Of The Five Suns 03:54

6.As Leaves Fall 01:33

7.Persona Non Grata 06:59

8.In Our Sacred Skin 05:56

9.The Deepest Roots 04:06

Members

Vocals/Baritone - Bones Huse

Lead Guitar - Phil Williams

Drums/Vocals/Percussion - Raj Puni

Backing Vocals - Sian Greenaway

Flute - Matt Ainsworth

Review

The Ties That Bind is the new album from UK Doom/Stoner Metal crew – Morass Of Molasses – and coming two years after their excellent album – These Paths We Tread. The band continue their Blues Rock fused Doom/Stoner Metal hybrid sound that offers a highly captivating journey that sees the band take influence from the 70s, 80s and 90s Hard Rock/Heavy Metal scene.

The album can be too crazy for it’s own good and you start to notice this in the second song – Woe Behide – which plays as a FUCKED UP style of Prog Rock, Stoner Metal, Psych and Blues Rock. Whoever decided to add 70s style vocal melodies to the fast-paced modern day Stoner Rock grooves deserves a medal or pat on the back. As I wasn’t expecting that at all.

The album continues with it’s wicked mash-up of different styles for the rest of the album with Morass Of Molasses defying genre expectations and writing their own rules as they see fit. The vocals from Bones are perhaps the weirdest and best part of this album. As they sound so vastly different to other Doom/Stoner Metal albums currently within the UK scene.

Though the rest of the band deserve credit for writing highly original Doom/Stoner Metal grooves for Bones to sing his vocals against. The music can be sweet natured to listen to at times. However that doesn’t stop the band playing more distorted and nightmarish sounds on the later stages of the album. You just don’t know what to expect with this album and that what makes it such a rarity in music nowadays.

You have to expect the unexpected with Morass Of Molasses and this album will keep guessing until the very end.

Standout songs have to be: Death Of All, Estranger, Legend Of The Five Suns and Persona Non Grata.

The Ties That Band has a huge likeability factor and I can see this album establishing Morass Of Molasses as one of the most innovative bands within the UK Doom/Stoner Metal scene in the near future.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mona at All Noir PR for the promo. The Ties That Bind is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via WastedState Records now.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Old Man Lizard - True Misery (Album Review)

Release date: November 30th 2018. Label: Wasted State Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

True Misery – Tracklisting

1.Shark Attack

2.Snakes!!!

3.Tree Of Ténéré

4.The Adventures Of Rupert Biggins

5.Trees Fall Down

6.Cursed Ocean, Relentless Sea

7.Misery Is Miserable

8.Return To Earth

Members

Jack Newham - Guitar & Vocals

Gav Senior - Bass

Dan Beales - Drums

Review

Old Man Lizard are a Doom/Sludge/Stoner Rock band from the UK who have been compared to bands such as Harvey Milk, Baroness and Torche during their musical journey and that's down to their unique style of music they create on their previous albums. Now the band are about to release their third album - True Misery - and it's perhaps their heaviest and most daring album to date. Old Man Lizard manage to create a world-weary Sludge/Stoner Metal sound that has strands of Americana based music popping up from time to time.

Old Man Lizard are another band who have their own style of music and it can be quite lo-fi and distant at times. However the band have always played that sound on their past two albums.

True Misery offers a gloomier experience and the opening song - Shark Attack - is a mixture of heavy sludge/doom riffs that have quite a raw edge to them and the bleak sounding vocals from Jack only adds to the slightly sombre mood of the album. However Old Man Lizard never make you feel uncomfortable as the music has quite a hopeful quality to it at times.

Second song - Snakes - has a more Psychedelic Blues Rock sound that sees the band play a heavier Punk Rock style of music as well. The lyrics are quite simple but they do their job superbly well. The song lasts around two minutes in lengths but you'll be surprised how action-packed this song actually is.

Third song - Tree Of Tenere - has a more grizzled psychedelic and experimental Americana feel but with a slight twinge of Baroness mellow riffs. This is perhaps the song inspired by Baroness the most on the album but still having that authentic Old Man Lizard sound and that's mainly the lo-fi psychedelic Stoner vibes that has that twinge of Americana holding everything together.

Though the band impress the most on the second half of the album with the more epic songs - "Cursed Ocean, Relentless Sea" and Misery Is Miserable. Both running near the nine minute mark. Old Man Lizard seem to thrive more on the lengthier songs. As they perhaps more time to play with.

These two songs allows you to see the real Old Man Lizard with epic progressive Sludge/Stoner riffs matched against insightful lyrics as well. Old Man Lizard prove on this album that Sludge/Stoner Metal still has the power to be daring and different. It may take you a few listens to fully appreciate and understand this album as the band have included so many different ideas.

The production is simply superb and is one of the best parts of the album. As Old Man Lizard have never sounded this good. True Misery proves why Old Man Lizard are one of the most genuine and exciting bands to emerge from the UK Sludge/Stoner Metal scene in recent years.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mona at All Noir for the promo. True Misery will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Wasted State Records from November 30^th 2018.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp