Showing posts with label Sumac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sumac. Show all posts
Watered- Split With Terraformer (2017)
Country: Germany
Genre: DoomGaze, Post Metal
Label: Wolves & Vibrancy Records / Time As A Color
Tracks: 5
Genre: DoomGaze, Post Metal
Label: Wolves & Vibrancy Records / Time As A Color
Tracks: 5
This year has been and will continue to be a fucking great year for the Doom end of the heavy music spectrum.
With releases from Bongripper and Conan, as well as the relatively new releases of Spotlights and Pallbearer, I think it is safe to say there is no shortage of slow ominous riffs, fuzz and feedback to satiate the most chronic Doom and Post-Metal leaning hunger pangs.
With this review I am going to focus on the Watered side of the split which, at just under 23 minutes, sees the band exploring a wide range of sounds and styles.
It is very much in their writing style to explore, for example, a heavy sludge riff, then seamlessly transition into a more minimal and melodic area, only to build up to another crushing atmosphere of huge guitars and drums.
The songwriting is gripping in the sense that there is no identifiable predictors of where they might go next at any particular moment. Watered has a special way of being completely non-linear and keeping your attention while simultaneously leaving you guessing about what it is to come next.
Fifty three seconds into the second track " Garden Of Cyprus" is a great example of what I am attempting to show you with words.
These transitions and moments are undoubtedly executed with great skill reflective of the extremely strong musicianship. As the listener is pulled further into the atmosphere of these songs, you can't help but start to listen for the coloring and layering of the fucking fantastic bass playing, the many moods of the drummer and his great compositional dynamics.
Not to say that the guitars themselves are not equally as impressive, as they masterfully drive the songs forward while exploring a wide range of playing styles and tones that sound full and organic.
From beautiful and glass-like cleans a la Explosions In The Sky, to blown out fuzz, where you can feel the soap bar pickups reacting to the mechanical pressure of the guitar strings parading through your ears.
Like on previous releases, Watered also has incredible production qualities that strengthen their performance. The incredible dynamic nature of this genre is wielded greatly by Watered, and is furthered by production that is very organic with plenty of headroom to hear the layers with great depth and also retaining the stomping low end heaviness that really makes this band worth repeated listens.
FFO: Pallbearer, Cult Of Luna, Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You, God Is An Astronaut
Sumac - WFMU Live (Cassette) (2018)
Format: Cassette, Digital
Origin: Vashon, WA (USA) / Vancouver, BC (Canada)
Genre: Post Hardcore, Sludge, Experimental
Label: Sige Records
SUMAC features members of Isis, Old Man Gloom, Mamiffer, Baptists, Russian Circles, These Arms Are Snakes. This is Sumac's Live On Air Recording from Brian Turner’s WFMU radio show, originally aired August 23, 2016. Now released as a limited cassette and in digital format through Sige Records. The cassette edition of 200 is housed in custom printed letterpressed 8 panel j-cards and jewel boxes with artwork by Aaron Turner. This seemlessly played live recording incorporates long passages of improvised jams and walls of noise between their composed songs. Nearly one hour of raw, passionate and dissonant sounds.! Highly recommended.!!
Sumac - WFMU Live
(U.S.) Sumac-What One Becomes-2X LP (2016)
Genre: Post Metal, Doom, Sludge
Label: Thrill Jockey
Tracks: 5
Length: 58.0'
Sumac is a three piece band consisting of Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom, Mamiffer) on guitar & vocals, Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists) on drums, and Brian Cook (Russian Circles, These Arms Are Snakes, Botch). Sumac play a dense, oppressive, and brutal style of music that incorporates elements of post metal, doom, and sludge within their sound. Since forming in 2014, Sumac has released a full-length LP titled The Deal in February 2015. What One Becomes is the band's latest full-length LP, which is slated for release via Thrill Jockey records on June 10th, 2016. On What One Becomes, Sumac offer up five new tracks of massive, tumultuous, rhythmic, and at times chaotic sounding post metal, doom, and sludge. Overall, What One Becomes is an incredible LP and should not be missed. Highly recommended! Enjoy! What One Becomes is slated for release via Thrill Jockey records on June 10th, 2016. Seriously, I can't wait for this album to drop.
Sumac on Facebook
Purchase
Listen Here
Sumac-The Deal LP (2015)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)