The Sleer - The Sleer (2014)
On The Sleer's self-titled debut EP
(which is almost long enough to slip by as an album), the group from
Colorado puts an interesting spin on traditional doom, mixing in some
black metal inclinations to make it more aggressive and primal. This
is most prominent in the vocals, which, though they do make use of
the rasping growl style, have an interesting 'damping' effect put on,
making them not quite as abrasive as some other groups with
comparable vocals. On the instrumental side, they've got some good
bass/guitar grooves going, backed up by drums with a wide spectrum of
performance. The song-writing pays homage to the doom of yesteryear,
but puts enough of a personal interpretive spin on things to keep it
from seeming stale or uninspired; instead, they come across as
pleasingly modern while they show off their fondness for tarry riffs,
conjuring up imagery of mysterious crypts and treacherous swamps.
As a debut, it's a very strong start
for this crew, establishing a strong sense of their character and
musical style, while also providing some serious doom. It's slow but
powerful, serious enough to make the music feel genuine without being
stodgy or rule-bound, and has enough variety to it that they'll have
a good range of options when deciding how to follow up on it with
their next release.
~ Gabriel
For Fans Of; Trees,
Hesperian Death Horse, Grey Widow, Lake Of Blood, Fleshpress
~
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