Kowloon Walled City

Gambling on the Richter Scale [12 inch] (2009)

Brian Shultz

Kowloon Walled City come from the school of post-Neurosis lurching, but place a little more emphasis on the sludge, stoner and doom tendencies. Consequently, Gambling on the Richter Scale is an appropriately titled and often difficult but enriching, heavy listen.

Opener "Annandale" gurgles forward atop a filthy, sprawling foundation; soon enough, vocalist/guitarist Scott Evans adds his vocal yelp, which is a scratchy, craggy one that actually bears some flashes of actual comprehension. "Diabetic Feet" has an ending that's crushing, but gives just enough space for breathing room, while "Clockwork" and "Sleep Debt" are slower, thumping, burning jams. It's safe to say the first half is a little more interesting than the second.

There's sort of an overly rough and treacherous pace that the rest of the album begins to traverse shortly after, however, and consequently those last 18 minutes or so do drag, both musically and attentively. But Gambling on the Richter Scale manages to remain a listenable and suffocating effort through and through.

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Diabetic Feet
Clockwork

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Gambling on the Richter Scale