Formed as a vehicle for playing Slayer classics at a doom metal tempo, Slower had the potential to be the greatest “novelty” band ever. They were smart, though: once you’d got past the amusement of hearing some of your favourite speed-oriented metal bangers played as funereal dirges, their debut album held up on its own merits. Fu Manchu man Bob Balch and members of Kylesa, Monolord and Year of The Cobra each bought their own unique talents to the project, and each of the tracks played out like the ultimate in classic doom and sludge fare. The result certainly wasn’t what Tom Araya had envisaged, but it was fantastic to hear a new twist on the classics.
Author Archives: Real Gone
Watch: Ecce Shnak return with blistering new track ‘Jeremy, Utilitarian Sadboy’
There are plenty of bands out there who claim to break down musical barriers. Quite often, this turns out to be little more than posturing, but sometimes one will come along and share something that transcends genre. You’ll hear various influences scattered throughout this current single from Ecce Shnak, not least of all from the mighty Mr. Bungle, but this truly experimental band combines sounds and influences in a way that feels genuinely inspired.
TURKEY VULTURE – On The List EP
Following a couple of EPs fusing hardcore punk and stoner metal, Connecticut’s Turkey Vulture have chosen to branch out a little more on their 2024 release ‘On The List’. The six tracks still convey a love of great noise and still celebrate a very lo-fi ethic, but Jessie May (gtr/vox) and Jim Clegg (drums) have added swathes of grindcore and a pinch of death metal to their grab-bag of angry sounds. The results – although still very clearly delivered via Turkey Vulture’s furious hand – are utterly devastating. And not only have they increased their sense of force , but they appear to have decreased their already non-existent recording budget, which makes this EP a genuinely uncompromising affair.
Listen: Absinthe Green cover The Spice Girls ‘Viva Forever’
In the summer of 2024, Absinthe Green’s ‘Give The Devil His Due’ was given some well deserved re-promotion. Although the track was two years at that point, it hadn’t really connected with a UK crowd. If it happened to be your first exposure to the Greek rock band, it certainly wasn’t a bad place to dive in. The track’s tonal shift from classic sounding doom into a driving hard rock riff showed off the band’s range of rock sounds very naturally, and although the featured vocal could’ve perhaps been a little sharper, the bulk of the track shared a great melodic feel.
BAD MARY – Better(er) Days EP
A lot can change in ten years. Unlike most DIY punk/alternative bands, though, for Bad Mary, issues with an ever shifting line up hasn’t ever been a factor. Since day one, the unity between vocalist Amanda Mac, her drumming dad Bill, bass playing husband Mike and guitarist David has been unquestionably strong. What has changed in that time, however, is the band’s recording budget and their collective musical skills. The 2024 Bad Mary sound much bigger and much fiercer than their younger selves. With that in mind, they chose not to mark a decades’ worth of work with a career spanning compilation, but to re-record some of the best tunes from their ‘Better Days’ debut disc.