Grass

Whiskey and Thunderheads [7-inch] (2012)

Joe Pelone

On the one hand, Philly sludge metal act Grass sounds derivative of Baroness. On the other hand, fuck yeah, Grass sounds like Baroness. The group's new 7", Whiskey and Thunderheads, delivers quality sludge with two meaty tracks.

"Tonight the Buzzards Circle the Grindstone" opens the record with throaty vocals and soaring guitars. It's like a lost Blue Record B-side, with the big difference being that the band jams out the track way more. Baroness has been known to explore their material more live, but Grass actually showcases that approach in the studio. I hope you like guitar solos, because "Buzzards" comes with a surplus of them.

"Untitled" isn't quite as Baroness-y, although one could argue that all that screaming sort of recalls First. But the track takes a while to get there. At first, it's all quiet dread (think Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath"), but the song begins cycling through ideas before long, jumping into metal solos, demonic screams and even punky thrash by the end.

While "Untitled" comes off a little unfocused compared to "Buzzards," it still complements that first track nicely. Whiskey and Thunderheads might contain only two tracks, but with this material this strong, it doesn't need to add much more.