Old Thunder now that sounds like it could be a brand of Bourbon with one hell of a kickback which would be apt as this one man project helmed by Dustin Grooms resides in Kentucky. Of course the literary amongst you will probably be thinking of Moby Dick and well you should be as it is a name bestowed upon Captain Ahab in Melville’s whaling classic. You may also recognise it as the name from a classic track on the first Ahab album too. The call of the wretched sea is definitely strong in this EP of dark atmospheric doom and sludge and the literary focus is expanded as it takes lyrical inspiration from the works of Faulkner, McCarthy, Poe and Hemingway, the old man of the sea himself. Let’s turn the page.
First track ‘Our Fields Are Burning’ broods in with slow drums and roaring gruff vocals rasping away. It instantly strikes that production is thick and loud and the bass heaviness really has the bottom end fantastically defined. A spoken word part actually from the bible (Job 5:7) makes it all the more austere. It’s a short intro leading into ‘June 2, 1910’ which after a slow start again bursts into life with blackened swaggering and raging distempered vocals. It has a crusty and sludge laden feel to it and the drums hammer away driving the pace as guitar and bass thickly chug. Dropping down into a doomed demeanour the vocals are particularly gravid and melody and atmosphere seep out. I am intrigued about the date and a bit of searching shows that it probably refers to Faulkner’s The Sound And The Fury, something that is highlighted by a patch of unexpected clean, heartfelt and soulful vocals. It’s odd listening to this part as it is quite chilled but the vocals are decreeing the words “I hate you” at complete odds to this. It’s hefty but heavily melodic and the atmospheric doom feel flows naturally around the rugged vocals and weeping guitars reminding me of many an act from My Dying Bride to certain Swedish ones we shall come to later but in a unique and compelling fashion. Taking down to the depths is ‘Sinking’ a despair etched and hateful diatribe with the words “you are the cancer” leaping out the musical page at me with plenty of spite to them. There’s a bit of a gaze feel to it as it progresses musically but there is no way you are going to float off on things even momentarily, those vocals make sure of that and it builds up to a suitably crushing finale.
Mentioning Swedes there’s a cracking cover of Katatonia track ‘Rainroom’ from the classic Brave Murder Day and it definitely does the original justice with the guitar harmonies sounding spot on and the vocals certainly raw and coarse enough, as are the clean parts to back it up. Last track is ‘Serpent Sovereign’ shimmering guitar work giving it a real post metal sort of flavour that would not be lost on bands such as Lantlos and Alcest and all that inspired them. Spoken words make their mark giving it a real Americana flavour and melding perfectly with the music which is drifting along and soaking me in its atmospheric caress. A lone drum beat and some discordant noise and it peters out; perfect.
Even though this is only half an hour in length it has the weight of a hefty much loved book about it and the stories within it really entertained and enraptured. It’s an excellent debut and one that I hope will expand to further chapters. Dip in at the links below.
(7.5/10 Pete Woods)
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