 | Tracklist:
1. Redundant
2. Transit
3. Postcards of Darby Crash
4. Restless
Release Date: 07/02/2011 | |
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On 6 Lists
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| Summary: a diamond in the rough |
7 of 8 thought this review was well written
When listening to a piece as heavy and discordant as SLOTHS’ Transit, I wonder whether the grimy, coarse effects are a deliberate decision by the band or whether the fact that there wasn’t the equipment or money available to wipe the grease off was simply the harsh reality facing the DIY process. The sludgy, punk, metalcore sound (these are going to be the last genre tags used here, for good reason) exhibited by SLOTHS is made all the more affecting by the distinct lack of polish. Throughout, a likable sloppiness permeates Transit. It makes the piece all the more gut-wrenching, but this binding factor is only the peak of the mountain. Beneath, there lies a focused, emotional powerhouse, the gravity of which came as a complete surprise. Transit is a dizzying, oscillating EP that carves down terrain from pounding bass lines, to a hail of crashing chords, to cathartic crescendos, yet always remains grounded by its solid songwriting. The vocals with their indecipherability, exacerbated and sharp in their delivery, only heighten the discordance of the record-- what gives SLOTHS such a palpable potency. Because of the general focus and flow among bandmates, what would normally come across as a spastic clusterfuck, instead reveals itself to be incredibly immersive.
More impressive, even, is the layering. Buried under the unabashed Botch-esque fury is a post-rock sort of adeptness, instrumentals you’d expect to hear on an old, lush Mogwai record. A few listens through Transit and it’s obvious that the main draw isn’t for picking out specific elements of “heavy-genre-here.” Rather, the appeal is the ferocity, the succinctness yet fulfilling feeling that the EP exudes, and that all the emotions exuded from post-rock, or punk, or whatever still come crackling in waves-- only without those nagging feelings when you say to yourself “Oh, this is just like ___ but without the __ and with the ___ !” The visceral likes of Transit is anything but contrived, again reinforcing the general feeling of dread that pervades the album, especially when tempos are slowed to a grinding, sludgy slow on “Postcards of Darby Crash.” In retrospect, it’s difficult to imagine that the tiny, DIY epic created by SLOTHS is so punk out of necessity only. And while the fantastically-named SLOTHS may not have the same name-recognition as counterparts who have released equally-harsh and heavy albums like Ampere, Weekend Nachos, and Pulling Teeth, it’s hard not to listen to Transit without feeling like it deserves a place among them-- based on merit alone.
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album art is kvlt
Digging: Mount Eerie - Clear Moon
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listen to this everyone
EDIT: for free, here http://sloths.bandcamp.com/album/transit
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Listening to Keelhaul lately, so I shall definitely listen to this while the mood is right.
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this sounds like it could be extremely good or extremely bad. good review, brah.
Digging: Candlemass - Psalms For The Dead Digging: Candlemass - Psalms For The Dead
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bro that is one motherfucking long paragraph ae
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um yes it is
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post-metalcore
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
http://sloths.bandcamp.com/album/transit
I'm just gonna stare at that album cover indefinitely
Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music | | | Album Rating: 4
great review as always. Gonna check this out xoxo
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
pos'd
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thanks all
| | | Album Rating: 4
gonna listen to this a few times but this definitely rules. thanks eric. idk where you find this stuff
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
still staring at the album cover
and listening to the EP. it's not really my kinda music but the post-rocky parts are kinda cool
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I have like 5 more albums or so that I'd really like to get the word out via reviewing
gonna start getting back into the habit of writing more though now that I have time
was expecting to be discouraged from 0 comments on this so thanks for proving me wrong guys : ) glad a few seem to be enjoying it
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although its probably not good
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Sounds good. Gonna get this now.
Digging: Gorilla Biscuits - Start Today
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
good review. for some reason i just think that those guys are average.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
yeah I'm not particularly liking it but it's probably down to genre more than anything else so it feels immoral to give it a low rating.
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I've seen long paragraphs before, but this is ridiculous. Good review though.
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it didn't look that big in Pages, honest!
*looking for a good place to split it, now*
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