The third album from Vancouver trio Waingro might be the missing link between Bison and Baptists, with shades of Red Fang and Saint Vitus thrown in for good measure. If the meta data calls this Stoner Rock, it’s only because Sludgy Punk isn’t really a genre.
Packing 12 tracks into just over 40 minutes, III starts off with a rumble on “New Colony,” before a groovy up-tempo stoner punk riff kicks in. Vocals are more of the hardcore/sludge variety, but not completely indecipherable. It’s all over in 3:30. “Red Death” reminds me of Red Fang with its driving stoner grooves, and the raw-lunged vocals don’t sound too dissimilar, either. “Bay Area Cult” has a similar tempo, but a bit more of a raw, punky edge, while “Third Veil” slows things down for the first really “doomy” cut on here, coming off as a cross between (early) Bison and Saint Vitus – although it’s all over in less than three minutes.
“Marked Cross” also kicks off with a very Vitusy riff, getting my head nodding right from the get-go, before it picks up the pace to a mid-tempo hardcore stomp around the 2:30 mark. The sludgy opening notes of “Dead Calm” even remind me of Eyehategod, but it’s all jagged, mathy noise rock from there, more aligned with Unsane. The sub-two-minute “Pacino” is probably the most punishing punk rock song on here, living up to its moniker… Say ‘ello to ma lil’ friend!!!
https://waingro.bandcamp.com/album/iii
(Sludgelord Records)
