ninehertz

This is what you hope to find when randomly searching bandcamp (or your streaming site of choice), a new band with an introductory EP, light on info, heavy on doom. I came across Andesite, from San Antonio, on the same day the great Rope or Guillotine label announced a 20th anniversary repress of Meth Drinker’s self-titled album, an apt coincidence…

For this is sludge in the mire, simple lines encumbered by multiple shades of blackened filth. It lopes along, as slow as can be of course. A few times on the EP – especially on the shortest opening track, it feels like their commitment is to tone above all else, above songs and riffs. I’m not complaining.

Charred Vestige brings with it the first sign of vocals and an overall impression of Primitive Man, an unsurprising reference point I guess. It has more about it, its single, repeating riff hits you hard. The closing Phlegethon builds up a war march momentum, only for it all to quickly crash down into a squelching sludge morass; then goes again, repeating the rush and collapse a little predictably but its impact not lessened.

The whole EP sounds and feels incredible, sludge as it should be, dirty and horrible. It is a short, spiteful and snarling introduction to a band wallowing in the cesspools of doom’s dregs. There is something missing in here to truly land as you’d want, but as a debut there’s time for that to come and Mazzolatura provides every evidence they have it within them to realise that potential in times to come.