Album Type:
Date Released: 29/03/2018
Label: Black Bow
Records
“Totems”
DD//LP track listing
1.
Mammoth Weed
Wizard Bastard – “The
Master and His Emissary”
The Review:
Last
time I threw on a split album it was the fun, fast cross genre thrashing of Iron Reagan
and Gatecreeper
– one of those brief, appetite whetting samplers that made me want to search
out more of the contributing bands’ back catalogues. I really enjoy those kind of horizon
broadening splits, but the ones that may stick with me most are the LP length
collaborations by artists operating in even closer genre proximity. Take, for example, “Totems” – a formidable, surprisingly cohesive split from young but
powerful Welsh psychedelic doomsters Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard and the
long-running Irish stoner sludge trio of Slomatics.
Both acts take similar spacey, prog indebted approaches to their massive
cuts so the LP stands out as a proper, unified album – but you can’t mistake
the unique methods and voices on display between the Mammoth crew and Slomatics.
Mammoth Weed
Wizard Bastard’s opening cut, “The
Master and His Emissary”, may be my favorite track on “Totems”. Starting with a
bass and synth intro, it plunges straight into space rock weirdness. The ascending, chugging verse riff balances
with ethereal, multi tracked vocals – largely those of bassist Jessica
Ball. Her delicate, clean tones,
contrasted with the gnarly dual guitar heft of Wez Leon
Slomatics hardly need an
introduction at this point, with nearly 15 years and releases in the double digits
(including splits and a live LP). But
for me this is another gateway, as I’ve never taken the full plunge into their
formidable back catalogue – another grievous error I plan to address
immediately. The heavy doom verses of “Ancient Architects”, countered by
Fabrio Frizzi reminiscent synth laden refrains hit right in my
metal/horror/scifi/weirdo nerd sweet spots, and I was hooked. Drummer Marty’s clean vocals have just the
right amount of grit, while his kit work is spot on. Dual guitarists Chris and David are tone
masters, shifting to a militaristic trudge in the pummeling midsection, only to
crash everything to a tectonic crawl on the outro. The fuzzed out phaser effects make the whole
ending feel impossibly psychedelic, while retaining the paranoid edge of a bad
acid freakout.
“Silver Ships into the
Future”
is a perfectly serviceable instrumental transition, primarily clean, slightly
warped keyboards and some nice, menacing ambient tones. But “Masters
Descent” is a genuine work of stoner metal masters. The savage riff and gently processed, reverb
laden vocals is like a Kubrickian transit through time and space. Marty’s jazzy fills, partnered with what
sounds like Mellotron backing tracks, makes the doomy number sound like a
haunting mashup with early King Crimson.
The chiming, synth laden, psych dirge latter half is a particularly nice
touch, and the vocal work is particularly moving – trust me when I say that’s a
disservice to the ineffable power when everything clicks into place for Slomatics.
“Totems” is available here
Alter your mind, crank the volume, and worship
two of the best of doom metal shaman delivering one of the stand out releases of 2018
.
2.
Mammoth Weed
Wizard Bastard – “Eagduru!
3. Slomatics –
“Ancient Architects”
4.
Slomatics
– “Silver Ships into the Future”
5.
Slomatics
– “Masters Descent”
In
short, “Totems” serves as one of
those effective entreaties to explore more from the contributing bands, but
also works as a powerful slab of metal, best enjoyed in one long, bleary eyed
session, or staring into space and envisioning the types of otherworldly
journeys Mammoth
Weed Wizard Bastard and Slomatics delve into with each new
composition. Alter your mind, crank the
volume, and worship the “Totems” of
these two linked tribes of doom metal shamans.
Band
info: Slomatics || Mammoth Weed Wizard
Bastard
