Album Type: Full
Length
Date Released: 12/05/2017
Label: Battleground Records
The Ditch and The Delta’s sound is a killer blend of fret-mangling
math rock and stoner doom aggression. They strike a perfect balance between
complexity, melody and no-nonsense gnarly heaviness.
“Hives In Decline” CD//DD//LP
track listing:
1). Hives
In Mind
2). Fuck
On Asphalt
3).
Sleeping Dogs
4). Dry
Land
5). Till
Body Quits
6). Mud
7). Dread
Spectacle
The Review:
Salt Lake
City Trio The
Ditch And The Delta are set to make a lot of people sit up and take
notice with new LP “Hives In Decline”.
The first
riff of the title track rips through the calm introductory drone like Keelhaul
blazing through High
On Fire’s backline. This sets the
tone for the rest of this exhilarating album. The Ditch and The Delta’s sound
is a killer blend of fret-mangling math rock and stoner doom aggression. They
strike a perfect balance between complexity, melody and no-nonsense gnarly
heaviness.
“Fuck On Asphalt” channels the epic
sludge of early Baroness
and Kylesa
to fine effect. The mid-section where the band provide slow motion backing to
twin searing guitar solos particularly highlights the genius at work here. It
should sound like an overcrowded mess but somehow all these disparate elements
are brought together in seamless fashion.
“Dry Land” provides some mid-album riff
respite with a short, quiet instrumental complete with slide guitar flourishes
that add a weird but cool country edge. The second half of the album then roars
into life with “Till Body Quits” and
“Mud”. Both tracks see the band
widen their sonic spectrum to include more spidery guitar lines, melodic
tapping and hints of the Hydrahead
School
The
record closes with “Dread
Spectacle” where The Ditch and The Delta add a healthy dose of Neurosis
style cathartic doom into the mix. When the track breaks down to sparse guitar
and Kory Quist’s weary vocals it recalls Scott Kelly at his ragged best.
“Hives In Decline” sees The Ditch and
The Delta takes a number of well-worn influences and breathe new
life into them to create an addictive blast of intelligent sludge. An essential
purchase for all riff aficionados.
