Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
We are all well aware of the fact that Louisiana has been a hotbed of killer bands and music for decades, it’s just the simple truth. The recent months have seen a rapid influx of killer bands and albums keeping LA on the map, too. With new works from White Light Cemetery, Electric Age, Forming The Void, and more, the swamp-laden realm of the U.S. that birthed sludge itself keeps us well rocked. Today, I’m here to present yet another band that has just issued a fantastic amalgamated effort, Shadow Giant.
Their latest album is the five-song ‘Honkytonk On The Moon‘, delivered back in early January 2017, and has been making gradual forward movements ever since. Comprised of monumental musical factors incorporating Southern metal, sludge, psychedelia, doom, and stoner rock, Shadow Giant are some downright righteous dudes. Those dudes are guitarist / vocalist J. Harrison, guitarist / vocalist Byron Daniel, bassist Tim Weaver, and drummer David Carroll.
Within ‘Honkytonk On The Moon‘, there is a range of flavor to the songs, like the Molly Hatchet-gone-to-hell energy of intro cut “Dan-O Heads West“, to the slow crawling of “Monty Ran For Beer“. We have nods to straight-up southern doom on “Vir Antiquus“, a track with some incendiary guitars and thick-ass rhythms.
My favorite song at this time is perhaps “Spiro Agnew“, due to its alternating intensities and regulated deliveries. One moment things are sedate and somewhat chill and then instantly explosive and pummeling. The closing cut, “Suckass Paycheck“, is a slab of psyche-tinged, swampy doom that features one of the best vocal performances of the record.
Shadow Giant cast a giant shadow indeed with ‘Honkytonk On The Moon‘ and if doom from far below the Mason/Dixon Line is your thing, then you need to make THIS your thing, too. Check out the Bandcamp stream embedded below and you won’t need any further convincing I’m sure.
