This is the sound of a city's pressure cooker finally blowing its lid. Strauss delivers a thick, suffocating wall of sound that manages to be both punishingly heavy and surprisingly groovy. It is rooted in the sludge and stoner rock traditions, but it carries a specific urban urgency that feels like a direct response to the grind of modern life. The guitars are massive, the drums are violent, and the vocals possess a raspy, desperate edge.
What sets them apart is the 'soul-rocking' element they claim. Beneath the distortion and the aggressive percussion lies a rhythmic coordination that keeps the songs from collapsing into pure noise. There is a swing to their heaviness, a multicultural London influence that injects a different kind of life into the standard stoner rock template. It feels less like a desert trip and more like a riot in a concrete jungle.
Start with their 2013 self-titled release to get the full impact of their mission statement. It is the perfect entry point for anyone who wants their metal with a side of grit and a lot of attitude. This is music for the moments when polite society feels a bit too quiet and you need something to rattle your bones.
Shares lo fi, analog warmth, noise textured (production style); aggressive, defiant, brooding (moods)
Shares lo fi, analog warmth, noise textured (production style); stoner rock, sludge metal, hard rock (subgenres)
Shares stoner rock, hard rock, heavy metal (subgenres); aggressive, defiant, energetic (moods)
Shares raspy, intense, gravelly (vocal style); stoner rock, sludge metal (subgenres)
Shares aggressive, defiant, energetic (moods); stoner rock, sludge metal, hard rock (subgenres)
Shares lo fi, analog warmth, noise textured (production style); stoner rock, sludge metal, hard rock (subgenres)
Shares stoner rock, sludge metal, hard rock (subgenres); analog warmth, noise textured, live recording (production style)
Shares stoner rock, sludge metal, hard rock (subgenres); lo fi, analog warmth, noise textured (production style)
Shares analog warmth, noise textured, live recording (production style); raspy, intense, gravelly (vocal style)
Shares stoner rock, sludge metal, hard rock (subgenres); analog warmth, noise textured, live recording (production style)
Shares sludge metal, heavy metal, thunderstorm, defiant (signature)
Shares sludge metal, stoner rock, gritty, gravelly (signature)
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