Album Type: Full Length
Released Date: 30/1/2012
Label: Rojek Wizard
1). Spirit Is Free 8:42
2). Close To The Window 6:52
3). Shallow Grave 5:32
4). Ruthless/Bezlitosne Mieso 11:57
5). Stones From A Blank Sky 10:55
Total running time: 44 mjns
I'll let the band telll you a bit about themselves. Hi, we're Vagitarians. We started to play in 2008. At that time we were under big influence of New Orleans stoner/sludge scene, so our music used to sound more like Down, COC, Superjoint Ritual, Crowbar. Music from this period of our existence is represented by Demo Flesh and Bones, recorded and released in 2009. After that we moved more in sludge, doom metal genre, but we are aware of putting some blues, progressive or core elements in our songs.
Representative for our musical presence are two last releases : EP Skibidibi and our first LP - WOOD. This Sounds more like Mastodon, Eyehategod, Crowbar, maybe even Neurosis (sometimes). Anyway, Vagitarians is not only a band, it is an institution closely connected with Ceremony Booking - concert agency which contains two members of band. CB is responsible for Stoner Ceremony and Feel The Doom events. These periodical events are a chance for the best polish underground bands, which plays stoner/sludge/doom music to show up in front of an interested-in community.
Bands like Blindead, Belzebong, Major Kong, O.D.R.A, Merkabah, Elvis Deluxe are representative for polish underground scene. Furthermore Ceremony Booking was a promoter of polish gigs of bands like Weedeater, Church of Misery, Karma to Burn, The Flying Eyes and more... Upcoming gigs are - Eyehategod - 25.7 - Warsaw, Crowbar 8.8 - Warsaw, of course with Vagitarians as a support
Current line up is
Rutek - Lead Guitar/Vocals
Piter - Rhythm Guitar
Sagan - Vocals
Marian Odsłuch - Bass
Grabarz - Drums
Man, seemingly when you think you can't hear another great record this year, given the quality releases we have had so far. Along come Vagitarians to blow the theory completely out of the water. My god, this record is outrageous, it is just brilliant. Yes, they're probably not going to win the feminist award for good will to women, given their controversial name (maybe I'm just a prude), but Wood is outstanding from start to finish. Over 40 minutes of unforgiving, incomprehensible and extremely brutal music, showing a complete lack of human sensibility. This band punish you from the very first second and is unrelenting throughout, it does not diminish in intensity for a single moment. This record is bloody merciless!!
At 8:42,
Spirit is Free gets this album underway in superb form with a seismic earth shattering slow sludgey riff, incorporating a dropped bend and then unyielding sounds of the high notes of the second guitar piercing your eardrums such is their inexorable din. We're only into the first 1:30 of the track and the variety of riffs is mouth watering, with influences of sludge and southern rock, with the flow and interval of notes sounding like something from Down or COC. The opening of the track is incredible. Vocally there is a mixture of guttural growls and shrill shrieks which suits the music beautifully, but it is the musicality and previously mentioned variety of down tuned sludgy riffs which leaves a lasting impression. The drums sound vicious too, with Grabarz beat of kick drums, almost distorting under the weight of the sound. At the 5:00 mark the brutal barrage subsides to give way for what can only be described as a movie soundtrack type soundscape, incorporating various sounds, which take pride in disorientating and confusing the listener until the tumult continues like boot in the face and with the power of blunt force trauma. The remaining 2:00m plus is a devastating onslaught of riffs with occasional pinched harmonics adding further variety to their sound, with the drums subjecting the listener to a succession of repeated beatings.
Next is
Close to the Window, with the semi distorted opening prelude of riffs, ensnaring you in a bear trap vice, until the band unleash the full force of their arsenal. It must be said that use of electronics is incorporated brilliantly too. This track is like Kirk Windstein trading insults with Mike D. Williams, in the vocal department too. The band have this desert rock vibe to them, which is just another example of the splendour of this record. There is just about everything you could want to hear on this record.
Shallow Grave could possibly be my favourite track on the record. It needs to be heard to be believed. Starting with a classic rock tinged riff, then it goes from that to sounding as if they have just turned into Pig Destroyer. Same riff, just As Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing, it is disgustingly brilliant, hell Scot Hull or the late Seth Puttnam from A.C. could be screaming on this record, such is the ferocity of the vocal. This is some of the heaviest stuff you'll hear this year, no doubt about it. The riff is colossal with the pinched harmonics sounding fantastic.
Ruthless/Bezlitosne Mieso kicks of with a bass riff reminiscent to Dawn Patrol by Megadeth and from there, this mammoth 12:00 track is essentially an instrumental track. It is a relentless, unmerciful track, which is accentuated by the roaring / screaming vocals from the previous 3 tracks, but it is used sparingly on the track. This is all about the band flexing their musical and virtuosic flair, which the band have in spades. Rutek on lead guitar plays some blistering solos on this track which is some of best I have heard this year. Again the track just reaffirms how great this band really are and is another example of the talent coming from Poland at the moment. The whole band get the moment to shine, brilliant drumming, crunchy riffs, booming bass and destructive guitar solos, what more could you ask for?
Stones From A Blank Stare is the final onslaught from the band, it is very atmospheric and slow paced. It is a great finish to an amazing record, throughout the dual vocal attack sounds menacing and unhinged. It is does not diminish in it's intensity throughout the course of the near 11:00 of the track, again Rutek blazes out in the track with a stunning guitar solo. Again this is what I loved about the record, it has variety in abundance on the track and indeed the record. It is for that reason 'Wood' is without question one of my favourite albums of month.
You might already know about this band, because I posted about them on our facebook page earlier in the week. However if you haven't, do yourself a favour and rectify that immediately. I think it a great record. Check out the links for band below. You can buy it
here and if you want a CD version of the record drop them an email which can be found on the Bandcamp page.
Bandcamp
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