Sometimes a band comes along that defies any sort of categorization. I mean Subetroth play sludge metal, and it's heavy as fuck that's for sure. However, that's just the foundation of what they do. The album opens up with a massive stoner sludge riff, that sways with an odd swagger. Then there's there fucking banjo on top of that! Oddly enough it's not out of place! The opening track "Ungrown Tug" continues to take many twists and turns on what seems to be a bumpy ride through the back roads of a swamp. Blast beats, check! Death growls, check! Harmonica, check! I mean I don't want to give the sense that dudes are like the Mr. Bungle's of sludge, because they're really not. These changes through this song in particular are seamless. However, this shit is still pretty wild!
We shift gears with the song "Preacher, Drunker Killer" which starts off a little more somber, and then adds synths and female backing vocals giving it a subtle gothic vibe, However, once again the song gets heavy as fuck with super detuned riffs toward the later part of the song. It's almost like the non heavy parts give you a greater appreciation for when these dudes really throw down, and once they do it's a cataclysmic event that shatters your skull with ecstasy. Next in line is the final track "Rubber Band Moan", which starts out with a backwoods country feel to it, then just like the other two (hope you're noticing a trend here), it crushes with devastating heaviness. taking the licks from the intro and turning them into a pulverizing force of heavy duty stoner sludge. The song continues its relentlessness onslaught to the very end, with a some ultra heavy detuned riffage at the gooey center of tasty morsel.
Overall "Agnozia" is a unique slice of experimental avant garde sludge. It defies categorization like I mentioned, and I really don't know who to compare them to? I mean I mentioned Mr. Bungle as a sort of reference, but they aren't them, and they're definitely their own thing. I loved this album, and I think you should give it a listen. One of my favorites of 2017 so far. Well done! Cheers! -Samir
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