With
their music seemingly forged from grit and steel, Headless
Kross have been plying their trade since 2011; certainly the band’s compositions
are the perfect soundtrack to the impending winter. Releasing their debut album
“Bear” in 2011, a self released
split with War
Iron and a split with Lazarus Blackstar would follow. “Volumes”
the band’s second full length was released in April 2015 and recorded at Skyhammer
Studio. Comprising of 3
tracks their compositions had enough breathing space to ensnare and hypnotise
the listener, but retain the thickness of their sound and would see the band
continue as Glasgow
It
is true to say that Headless Kross
have evolved as a band, and whilst “Volumes”
would see the band shedding some of their sludge doom roots, their new album “Projections 1” released on November
18th, via At War With False Noise is an album of Long songs, deep grooves and tortured
vocals”. Today we
invite guitarist/vocalist Tommy Duffin to choose his top 5 albums according to
the genre their own band is known for. That genre is loosely speaking
psychedelia, sludge and doom, so it is time to turn it up to 11 and checkout
some classic picks from Glasgow
Black Flag - "My War" (1984)
I'm sure there are people who will disagree with me
but I reckon side B of this record is ground zero for sludge. Up until this
point Black Flag were known for
short, fast and chaotic hardcore punk. This however, sounds like they've drank
a load of Benylin and recorded an all night jam. The band sound like they're
sinking into a tarpit and Rollins definitely hates himself and everyone else. I
love the guitar leads on this album. Atonal jazz noise that perfectly backs up
the overall misanthropy. Half the time it sounds like the vocals were
recorded in the toilet bowl. Classic.
Eyehategod - "Dopesick"
(1996)
The band's third album and arguably my favourite,
this is like Black Flag crossed with Black Sabbath in a pharmaceutical warehouse.
Negative energy never sounded so good. Absolutely pummeling drums, totally
wretched vocals and then there's the feedback drenched riffs lurching from
doom, hardcore and somehow a kind of heavily-sedated southern boogie!
Sleep, as you would imagine, are an obvious influence on
our sound but I love how the band split into two quite different bands and Om's approach, long meditations on bass and
drums, really drew me in and made me want to explore the long song format. I'm
into all their records but this is probably the one I reach for most often.
High On Fire – “The Art of Self Defense”
(2000)
On the other side of the Sleep
divide you have High On Fire and
their first album is a stoner metal classic. I don't like my heavy metal to be
shiny and new. I like it murky and covered in mould. This record definitely
fits the bill. “Blood from Zion ” is
probably my favourite HOF
Hawkwind – “Space Ritual” (1973)
The daddy of the space rock genre and possibly the
best live album of all time. I can only imagine what it would have been like to
see that tour. The record is pretty head-melting even without the visuals of
the original show. Time seems to stretch and contract when you listen to this
and that is what we aim for in Headless Kross.
This is music that takes you to another place and time completely.
