Album Review: The Ditch And The Delta - The Ditch And The Delta
Reviewed by Neil Bolton
BANG! and we are off! No tedious intros with The Ditch and The Delta. If your volume is high on your system when this comes on, prepare to bleed.
This Salt Lake City three piece hit you straight away with the opening for 'Maimed'. This is a statement of intent to show you what caliber of band you have chosen to listen to. This first track on their new album continues in a similar vein from their 2017 release with powerful sludge riffs and raging shouting vocals, creating an immense technically proficient sound. These sludgy sounds are expertly captured and never tamed by producer Andy Patterson at the Boars Head Nest Studio in Salt lake Studio. It was actually recorded back in 2018 and it was worth the wait.
'Exile' the second track has a brief let up and then it begins to tear again. New drummer Brian Fell showing his talents behind the kit. A little slower than the first track, but no less powerful. The band themselves describe the lyrical content of their work as "absolute depression and desperation with hints of lucid clarity and awe". There is a lot of personal experience involved in the writing of these songs, experiences that include loss and grief. Track three 'Aesthetics of Pain' is a perfect example of this. A slower doom type riff pours over you in this one, once again well thought out and well delivered .
'Molt' has a slight Mastodon feel with the drums swirling around manically. 'Bleed the Sun' is frantic and leads nicely into 'Hiraeth', shouting vocals along with nice heavy sounds. 'Techtonic Selves' begins with a guitar lick, that makes it stand out a little, even from the awesome tracks before it. It hopes to leave on an uplifting and brighter note while being intricate in sound. A nice little number finishing this albums seven track count.
Riffs pound, vocals hit hard. These Americans have completed their mission well.
The Ditch And The Delta release their self titled album via Prosthetic Records on April 17th.
