Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
Chicago’s Faces Of The Bog are absolutely taking the subterranean music community by storm with their latest offering, ‘Ego Death‘. Although it was originally independently released digitally and on CD in October 2016, it gathered so much steam and recognition that something had to be done.
That “something” was the official vinyl release of the effort through D.H.U. Records on Sept. 22nd while the digital version remains available at Bandcamp here.
Produced and engineered by the band and Sanford Parker (Voivod, YOB, Minsk) at Electrical Audio and Decade Music Studios, ‘Ego Death’ exhibits some Parker-ish nuances. But of what benefit are they without a band capable of birthing multifaceted, musically exploratory audio output? Though crafted within the deepest confines of sludge-ish excess, the incorporating of intensely psychedelic enhancements is done within deliverance of pure unbridled brilliance. Yes, we have Faces Of The Bog themselves to heap gratitude upon for that, of course.
At times, things teeter upon the edge where psychedelic waves crash coarsely upon shores of fatalistic doom. The juxtaposition of light and dark, tranquil and turbulent, atmospheric and aggressive is on full sonic display here. From the wholesome, albeit briefly light-hearted to the thickly harrowing, heavy-laden, it all finds its place at some point.
The ferocious foursome fueling these sinister sonics are Mark Stephen Gizewski (Guitars / Vocals), Trey Wedgeworth (Guitars / Vocals), Paul Bradfield (Bass), and Danny Garcia (Drums / Percussion). What they have given rise to here, whether it be digitally based, compact disc, vinyl, or otherwise, is a punishing foray into a cesspool of crushing depth. But one rippling with existential avenues of lysergic-like escapism.
