Supergroups often yield interesting
albums that allow musicians to deviate from what they would usually do within
their respective bands. Slower is such a supergroup. The concept is to play slower,
sludged-out covers of legendary thrash metal band Slayer, hence the name Slower. Comprised of Esben Willems from Monolord
on drums, Peder Bergstrand from Lowrider on bass, Amy Barrysmith from Year of
the Cobra on lead vocals, and Bob Balch from Fu Manchu on guitars for the first
four songs. For the final song, “South of Heaven”, we switch bassists/singers
with Scott Reeder from Kyuss on bass and Laura Pleasants from Kylesa on lead
vocals. The eponymous album will be released on January 26th via boutique
label Heavy Psych Sounds Records.
Whether you’re a Slayer fan or
not is irrelevant to enjoy this LP. If you like Slayer, you’ll get a bigger
kick out of it, but it’s not required as the band gives the songs a new lease
on life with these reinterpretations. For my part, I’m not the biggest Slayer fan,
but I absolutely love their Seasons in
the Abyss LP, so since three of the five songs covered here are from that
album, I really dug them. The album kicks off with a thick and heavy, epic rendition
of “War Ensemble” featuring a driving riff and terrific guitar solos. “The
Antichrist” has a Sabbathian vibe and a darker edge to it. Amy’s vocals are
perfect for this song. Speaking of Amy Barrysmith; I can’t wait for a new LP/EP
from Year of the Dragon. If you’re not familiar with that duo, seek them out—they
are powerful purveyors of doom metal. On to “Blood Red”, which may just be the
catchiest track on here. Slower delivers “Dead Skin Mask” in a haunting fashion
with its hypnotic evil riff. The final track happens to be my favourite, sung
by Laura Pleasants, whom I wasn’t familiar with. It’s got a dangerous riff
paired with a killer overall musical atmosphere. A great song to close this
record.
Slower’s Slower is a superb collection of reimagined Slayer classics. The five-track, 39-minute album delivers on its promise of sludgier, heavier versions of Slayer tunes. It’s an awesome project and one can only hope we’ll see more from this group of musicians. Fans and non-fans of Slayer will appreciate this offering as long as they’re into doom, heavy psych, heavy metal or any similar music genre. Slower is a fantastic way to start the new year. More please!
Slower on Bandcamp: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/slower-slower
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