Tuesday 18 February 2014

Vinyl Corner : Blackwitch Pudding - Taste The Pudding (Album Review)

Taste the Pudding cover art

Forget for a minute that the three cloaked musicians in Blackwitch Pudding are 600-year-old wizards spawned from a witch, that they enjoy sluts (hell, who doesn't?) and have a panty fetish. You can't, can you? Me either. I wanna party with these guys; seems we have a lot in common, including a sense of humor and a love for both heavy music and DIY vinyl records. We'd have fun.

I may be the last here at The Sludgelord to fully digest the delectable concoction from the Portland three-piece but it's only because I was waiting for their self-released wax. Taste The Pudding is more flavorful while played at high volumes on a record player.

After gorging myself I've found the secret ingredient in the frothing cauldron of riffage served up on classic black vinyl. You might already know, still I'll give you a few hints in case you're color blind. It's green. And it's a plant. And if it's potent enough it'll alter your state of mind, much like the music on this record.

Yep, they're stoner wizards and those are the best kind if you ask me. That's just another thing we have in common (the stoner part that is). Kidding. Have no clue if they partake of the herb or not but I'm serious when I say I love their music.


Space Man (guitar, vocals), Lizard (bass) and Wizard (drums) play the kind of heavy stuff that stoners like me love: a creamy dessert of low-tuned riffs and grooves, tasty vocals and, of course - fucking seriously shredding solos - which I really dig about the tunes here and feel are lacking in some other stoner music I'm listening to these days. You gotta love a good, ripping guitar solo. I'm sure some non-stoners would like this record too, I just don't know any personally.



The first track on side a, "Mortre 'D", "Swamp Gas of the Nevermizer", and the last on side b, "Acid Castle Mountain Top" are my absolute favorites. Coincidentally, they're the longest on the album, and are the most stoner-doom-oriented of the seven. You've probably heard digital versions already, right? Try vinyl. I'm sure the wizards would want you to hear 'em this way.

"Super Sluts from Outer Space" runs about as fast as you or I would wanna fuck one - quick and hard. Y'know, get in and out as fast as you can, for a stoner anyway. You never know what kind of wizard has dumped a load inside that slut before you. Maybe an infected one.

"Gathering Panties" is what the wizards do after fucking said sluts. Then they use them to adorn the walls inside their castle. Unfortunately, all the wizards got "Crabs" after a weekend orgy with those cosmic whores, who haven't yet learned to shave pubic hair to all but eradicate the louse. I'll stick with earth pussy.

And I think "Shark Commando" was inspired by the death of their good friend and former companion, Timmy. Once upon a time, there used to be four wizards. Needless to say they don't venture far into the ocean anymore.

Oh, I almost forgot. Did I say, stoner? Stoner. STONE-R. And three wizards, too, conjuring up some magic.

You can buy this spellbinding slab o' wax at the wizards' bandcamp page, their website or from Heavy Ripples Distribution. You'll have fun no matter which route you take.

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