Reviews: Static Abyss, Skull Fist, BBF, Brown Acid (Reviews By Matt Bladen & Rich P)

Static Abyss - Labyrinth Of Veins (Peaceville Records) [Matt Bladen]

What happens when two members of Autopsy get together for another project? Well things get properly nasty. The debut record from Static Abyss, features 10 slices of crushing death metal, wrapped in the rumbling throb of doom. Full of eerie atmosphere and an overwhelming sense of dread, as well as a huge amount of nasty riffage, Labyrinth Of Veins is a debut album that makes a statement. Static Abyss are a duo comprised of Greg Wilkinson (guitars/bass) & Chris Reifert (drums/vocals), the duo making sure that Labyrinth Of Veins is an assault to the senses, brutally heavy at times, the razor sharp frenzy of Autopsy very identifiable but also but also having ominous breaks in the brutality, which somehow are more unnerving than the death metal savagery. 

The band wants their music to “explore the echoes of insanity manifested through human existence" so this constant shifting in the style is very welcome to put across this psychological torment. Dealing with this sort of inspiration it's only the more gnarly sound of death that will often be able to convey these ideas. It's not 'death metal goes prog' the record is more like Grindcore and the more extreme forms of death metal with the dissonance of Anaal Nathrakh, tracks switching from a blasting pace into a slow dirge, within the confines of a few minutes, a nod to the old school style but also the outliers of the death genre. It's a trick often repeated but always appreciated especially when it drives home that idea of insanity on Nothing Left To Rot which crawls along with steady, unwavering grind before moving into some bouncy crossover death riffage. 

You Are What You Kill is a track that has grindcore viciousness, stuffed into 2 minutes, more violence comes on Jawbone Ritual and Contort Until Death. Labyrinth of Veins' is a record that leaves nothing unsaid, death metal in its rawest, primordial form, the simplicity of there only being two members, aiding the feel of this record. Wilkinson and Reifert have created one of the most unrefined, primitive death metal albums of the year. 7/10       

Skull Fist - Paid In Full (Atomic Fire Records) [Matt Bladen]

Toronto based classic metallers Skull Fist, led by Zach Slaughter, return with yet more guitar shredding and classic metal sounds on their fourth album Paid In Full. Born out of the hardships caused by "shitty business partners", broken necks and living life to the excess, Paid In Full is probably the best realised of Zach Slaughter's vision for the band. The chequered past of Skull Fist's history would be enough to destroy most bands but it seems to have refocused Zach to concentrate his hellraising into a more mature Skull Fist, though he would say that it's still just him doing what he does. Recorded at Vespa Studios near Toronto, Paid In Full didn't really capture my attention as instantly, as much as some of the previous records, but with repeated listens it unveils nuance and texture not heard before. 

Just check out the acoustic opening to Blackout which provides some atmosphere before unleashing a speed metal attack. However a track such as For The Last Time brings a more melodic edge to the Skull Fist sound, as Zach shreds and wails backed by Casey Guest (bass) and JJ Tartagaila (drums), Warrior Of The North has the big Grand Magus chants, Long Live The Fist is a proper NWOTHM bouncer, Zach shredding as wild as possible as Madman is probably the most dramatic song Skull Fist have ever produced. A fair few years in the making Paid In Full shows Skull Fist as a more well rounded unit. With Atomic Fire Records behind them now a hopefully Skull Fist can push aside the negativity in their past for a brighter future. 7/10

BBF - I Will Be Found (Argonauta Records) [Rich P]

I’m always down when a band describes themselves as “traditional psych” or “retro-rock”. This is how the Italian trio BBF describe themselves, and now they have unleashed their third and latest mind-bending offering on the excellent Argonauta Records, I Will Be Found. Color me intrigued, let’s see what the guys have to offer to alter our consciousness.

The psych is strong with BBF, and you get that vibe throughout the six tracks of I Will Be Found. The opener, Freedom, kicks us off with a chill acoustic vibe that leads to what we are waiting for, some of that kick ass retro psych rock, with swirling, frantic guitars you would expect from these guys. Cosmic Surgery brings whispered vocals into some heavy jams which is a theme throughout this album; soft into loud and back again. Rise leans more towards the “soft” and unfortunately makes the album drag a bit in the middle until those psych guitars kick in, which is what I think the trio does best. I would love to see a more straight-ahead heavy rock record where they put their foot on the gas the entire album and see what comes of that.  

Like a whole album in the style of the next track, T-Rex. Frantic and off balance in the best way, this is my favorite track on the record, leveraging those often mention guitars and some very cool vocals that enhance this trip. You have the slow part in the middle, but it works a lot better with the spaced-out opening. The new JIRM record would be a nice companion piece to I Will Be Found. We drag a bit towards the end, with a long psych out jam and nine-minute acoustic piece that are well executed but doesn’t offer too much different than the first few tracks.

This was an enjoyable listen, but I am not sure how many times I will come back to it.  BFF know how to bring what they are delivering, but the similar song structures throughout make this album a bit too predictable, which is not what I am always looking for from a band like this. That being said, these guys can really play, and T-Rex is a track I would put on any modern psych playlist.  Check it out for yourselves and let me know if I am missing something. 7/10

Various Artists - Brown Acid: The Fourteenth Trip (Riding Easy Records) [Rich P]

I love the Brown Acid series that has been curated by the great Riding Easy Records. If you are not familiar with the set the basic concept is that Lance Barresi, owner of L.A.-based Permanent Records, searches the far corners of the US in dusty record store bins, garages, attics, and confirms musical urban myths to bring us lost and the most underground of underground songs from long forgotten bands that in some cases may have only release one song on a promo single. These songs come together to populate the now fourteen volumes of some of the best 60s and 70s proto metal and psych rock that you have never heard before.  I love the concept and have yet to be disappointed by any of the previous thirteen trips. Let’s see where trip fourteen brings us. 

As usual, this rocks. I love hearing stuff that is so vintage that I have never heard before. The fact that these comps keep churning out at this level of quality speaks to how dedicated Mr. Barresi is to unearthing these lost gems.  Highlights include the opening track by The Legends, Fever Games. They reference Hendrix in the lyrics so that should give you an idea what you are getting with this ripper. Mijal & White bring you I’ve Been You producing the perfect 70s proto/psych sound with some harmony and excellent guitar tone that makes me feel warm inside and that has influenced all the fuzzy bands that we love today.  

The track Henry Can’t Drive brings some serious bluesy Cream vibes courtesy of the band Liquid Blue who I would love to hear more from. That is part of the fun of these comps; the historical details in the liner notes and the research after to see what else you can find out about these bands. The MC5 vibes are strong with Trolly Co and their ripper Signs. Play It Cool is my favorite track, brought to you by Transfer, which is the perfect track to highlight what these comps are all about. Appletree’s track You’re Not The only Girl could be on Hotter Than Hell, which from me is about as high of a compliment you can get. 

Basically anyone who loves the proto/psych stuff of the late 60s and 70s needs to dive deep into all of Brown Acid Trips, with fourteen being no exception. Discovering these 50 plus year old gems for the first time is so much fun, and never just a one-time spin. I go back to these comps on the regular, so it’s not just a gimmick to get people to buy pretty vinyl. These comps are a piece of our musical history and should be taken as a lesson in how we got to where we are today in the metal/stoner/fuzz/psych genre today.  Highly recommend this and all the other thirteen trips. 8/10