Album Type : Full
Length
Date Released : TBC
Label : Head
Of Crom / Burning World
Estron, album track listing :
1). Troglorite 04:22
2). Tunnel Dragger 05:56
3). Futurian 04:15
4). Lost Punisher 03:42
5). And Yet It Moves 07:11
6). Red Dawn 02:01
7). The Carpenter 10:28
The Band :
David/ Chris | guitars/amplification
Marty | traps/ howls/ cowbell
Marty | traps/ howls/ cowbell
Review :
The Belfast bruisers return, baring
their teeth and swinging a new album like a motherfucking sonic axe. That's
right, an axe made of sound. 'Estron' may be more subtle than escapades past
but it's still murkier than a bayou, and you're just as likely to drown your
ass in it.
Starting off with album opener 'Troglorite' the boys waste very little
time in re-establishing themselves as a dominant force in low-end wrangling.
The wind can be heard swirling in the background right before the first of MANY
colossal riffs land on top of the nearest mountain and decides to breathe
molten doom in your direction. But as I mentioned earlier, it's less pointed
and bludgeoning on this track than in the past. This album sounds more honed, I
hesitate to use the word 'matured' as that would bring to mind less rock n' roll
enthusiasms like, say, cheese and wine tasting parties. This is still heavy and
pounding, but with a focus and intent not yet observed within Slomatics output.
And the vocals are even clearer than before also to add to the effect. Very
good indeed.
Of course it isn't very long before
we stray back into somewhat more familiar and comfortably deafening territory
with 'Tunnel Dragger'. As a band they
possess an ability not shared with many other outfits (other than Conan
perhaps) to just absolutely bounce your skull off the wall with the sheer power
of a fat riff. But again, with the calmness part way through the cut. Subtle
drums and spacey oscilloscope sounds scale the intensity back just a bit before
the crush comes full circle. Honestly, this is a cracking tune.
'Lost
Punisher' isn't about the time Frank Castle accidentally left his road map
in his other coat pocket (type the name into Google, losers), but it most
certainly is punishing. That classic repeated buzz of their guitar, twinned
with those cymbals crashing like a satellite into a cymbal store that's
experiencing issues with overstocking. All of it equals a Slomatics song, and
it feels amazing.
All in all a more varied affair than
earlier albums, and not for the worse either. They have progressed to a more
pure point of heavy. They're not just satisfied with clubbing you over the head
anymore it would seem, their argument is more refined and as a result feels
more enduring. There's even piano involved! If you're a fan of the band then
you will always enjoy what they have to offer, but I get the feeling that
'Estron' will linger in the memory for even longer than usual. A real triumph
of quality and structure, and a new height scaled in an already stellar career
of amp vandalism. It's just that this time they really want to leave a lasting
mark.
Slomatics was here, 2014.
Words by :
Matt Fitton
