EP Review: Slump - Dust
Reviewed by Tim Finch
Slump first crossed my path pre-pandemic, I lose track of which year it was as with us all the pandemic screwed up up all concept of lapsed time, but in the years prior to that global outage Slump were kicking off their fledgling career in the Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses competition. Stoner rock, sludge and doom has never been the most prominent of genres in the Black Country and whilst the band did not progress in those competitions back then, it wasn’t for lack of talent or flare. This was a band who obviously had both by the bucketload.
Switch forward a few years, band mastermind Matt Noble is now also the guitarist for Alunah and has even found himself working for this very outlet, one of the stars of our team. But keeping his other activities aside, the Slump machine has never slowed, and this May sees the band release latest EP Dust, a recording mixed and mastered by Thom Egerton.
The record builds upon the Split EP they released with At War With The Sun last year and indeed two of those tracks feature again here. Opening with ‘Dust’ which melds an in your face punk vibe with more traditional stoner rock flavourings. A style similar to that which Bokassa popularised a few years ago, it has all the swagger of a punk rocker whose been toking on a little too much weed.
‘Buried’ is a brand new track, and starts off with a hypnotic bass and drum line that’s sure to get your foot tapping before the meaty riff from Matt kicks in sending the band down a sludgier path. The variation in pace keep the listener enthralled as they effortless switch from Orange Goblin-esq segments into heavier Crowbar worship. This song has it all and really stands out on the EP as a true banger.
Next up many will be familiar with ‘Kneel’ which was the other song to feature on last years split release. This is the heaviest number of the four track EP, with it’s low slung riffs and dark overall feel, the band highlighting their sludge influences with pride.
It’s all finished off with ‘Vultures’, drawing influence from the likes of Corrosion of Conformity, it again shows how the band can play with variations of style and pace with ease mixing things up and keeping the listener engaged from start to finish.
The EP highlights a band finding their place in the ever changing heavy landscape, drawing from sludge, doom, stoner, grunge and punk influences, they flex their muscles and show exactly what they have to offer. The sound is not polished, it has a wonderful fuzzy, rough around the edges feel that lends itself perfectly to their style.
Want to find the best in up and coming heavy music, look no further than Slump!
