One of the most highly hyped stoner/doom debuts of recent months, this Seattle trio features Tad Doyle, he of the second-tier grunge band bearing his first name, and have been kicking around their local scene for several years—their only previous recording is a split dating back to ’09. Suffice to say this project might not have been picked up by Neurot if it didn’t have the guy who sang “Jack Pepsi”… but that’s not to say these songs don’t hold up on their own right.
There are only about a handful of tracks on here (not including the outro and “bonus track”), with most eclipsing the eight-minute mark. After a brief opening burst of “Lava,” “Empires of Dust” crumble with some Sleep-heavy riffs and vocals that barely range above a murmur, with a few sludgy forays into Neurosis territory—they are signed to Neurot, after all.
The uncreatively titled “Unnamed” begins with a much mellower vibe, but it’s not long before we’re hit with more downtuned doomy downstrokes. I guess you could call this “progressive post-sludge” or something—it kinda reminds me of earlier Zoroaster. In which case, 11-minute “La mano poderosa” would be their “Tualatin”… there are certainly some sonic similarities.
Bottom line, this isn’t bad, but it’s nothing I haven’t heard before. Now pass me a Pepsi!
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