Slomatics / Holly Hunt – Split 7″ single


holly-hunt-slomatics-split

A 7-inch ‘split’ release (Black Bow), with one track each… the ways of ‘putting yourself out there’ shrink by the minute. The track from Belfast sludge-doom trio Slomatics, ‘Ulysses, My Father’, is Conan incarnate: all colossal riffs dropped from the skies, Marty Harvey‘s vocals echoing from atop Olympus, until some subtle and welcome sequencing introduces a slight quickening of pace and some pulverising stickwork from Harvey.

‘Bill Ward’, the track from Miami instrumental monstrosity Holly Hunt, is something of a powerhouse. Buzzing, crunching guitars fade in and out as if bouncing on the surface of a ‘woofer’, sucked back then spat forth with venom whilst drums reminiscent of the man the track is named after fling the riff around like a toy. The resonant power is stunning and dulls the senses in a hypnotic fashion, but in truth one four-minute track each is not the sort of advert that makes me want to further investigate, especially with the Belfast unit having four albums under their belt.

A multi-track EP could have pushed this intriguing sound further into the psyche.

6.5/10

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PAUL QUINN