What a curious release, one side dedicated to a fairly harmless stoner-doom jam (Shooting Guns’), the other (Cult Of Dom Keller’s) splayed out in post-punk agony like Interpol, A Place To Bury Strangers, Deerhunter, and Liars arguing over who gets to blow their heads off first then jamming the demons away in a convincing end-flourish. I prefer the latter, as it’s solidly produced, is a more comfortable listen, and makes more sense gracing the folds of an expensive vinyl pressing (it’s even conceivable CoDK could get some airplay someday). Yet something about that heavy-ass Shooting Guns jam lingers. It’s sort of like that first Pelican EP; you think to yourself, “Well, I coulda done that,” but you fuckin’ didn’t. And you never will. It’s like that, but with a much more aggressive instrumental posture that flows and grows in stature with each flailing repetition. Some of the Level Plane bands ended up trying to approximate this churning Southern sound, albeit with vocalists crowding the mix, back in the day and failed to bring it across, so it’s fulfilling to hear it receive a revival here. Who needs singers anyway?
More about: Shooting Guns / Cult Of Dom Keller
