Blackout
We Are Here
Self-Released
Street: 10.25
Blackout = The Melvins + Sleep
On their debut, Blackout waste no time in setting their own tempo, which happens to be slow as fuck. The track “Amnesia” progresses in a way similar to a growling motorcycle accelerating and decelerating all the time, resulting in a spontaneous stagnation that doesn’t get anywhere, but wallows in its own grime. The whole album seems to oscillate from stoney-riff spurts to dense, distorted drone chords that ring out for days over shimmering symbols. While this may sound like a formula for your garden-variety sludge, Blackout spare no opportunity to reimagine the genre. Oh yeah, and don’t forget your bong. –Jordan Deveraux