Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
I (and all at Riff Relevant) get inundated with literal barrages of music from bands, musicians in bands, friends of bands and musicians in bands, friends that like bands or musicians in bands, etc.
It is the latter that resulted in my recent introduction to Richmond, Indiana’s Wolftooth. That introduction has now provided one of the more rare occasions where a band and/or their music are a completely engulfing experience. The band, Chris Sullivan (guitars / vocals), Jeff Cole (guitars), Terry McDaniel (bass), and Johnny Harrod (drums), just dropped their self-titled début EP back in late August. The three-song effort is an infectious masterpiece of Stoner Rock, too.
These Hoosiers have sonically distilled a fine corn-fed collection of cuts here and it all begins with “Aegaeon“. With an intro of some thumping bass lines and a smattering of feedback, the song soon detonates with some solid Doom. Massive riffs propel it as fantastic, airy vocals float upon the heavy audio heaving beneath them. Slowly paced, yet utterly powerful, the song sets the bar extremely high right from the start and yields some great guitar soloing, too.
Track two, “The Huntress“, takes off right out of the gate with a tumult of unified twin guitars before finding its groove. Chugging forthright within the verses and then taking on lighter, more melodic touches in the choruses, there’s a bit of European flare here. Tight, solid drumming and some fierce dual guitar trade-offs eventually build to a breakout of uptempo playing.
The EP-ending “White Mountain” is a number with pummeling voraciousness right off the line. The isolated bass lines are a killer touch before things go into a chunkier musical mode. Somewhat trippy, effect-applied vocals narrate an incredible lyrical tale, while the song, simply put, is the embodiment of awesomeness.
In fact, awesomeness permeates every note and nuance of Wolftooth‘s self-titled EP. It’s a phenomenal start for the guys and it definitely leaves the listener wanting more. Let us hope there is more on the way in due time, but until then you can stream or purchase Wolftooth via the Bandcamp embed below.
Recommended if you like: The Sword, Valkyrie, Sea Of Green.
