Noothgrush “s/t” CD/LP

From Fuck Yoga Records comes this intriguing Noothgrush release containing material that was recorded in 1994 shortly after the band formed, and apparently only released on "a handful of cassettes" back in the day. Whereas the band is now well-known for punishingly heavy doom/sludge with vicious, snarling vocals; this five-song, 44-minute collection offers a really cool glimpse into how they landed on that approach. These tracks are still dominated by slow, pulsing tempos and an ominous atmosphere; but with droning, monotone vocals that are sort of sung/sort of spoken and definitely change up the overall vibe. That being said, the plodding, repetitious rhythms and dense, oddly melodic bass runs also possess a more stripped down aesthetic that I guess could be said to suggest a more obvious Black Sabbath influence or something like that. The raw, aged recording actually fits the peculiar nature of the material as well—especially in that the structures often decay into loose experimental textures and/or subtly spacey effects (best exemplified by 22-minute behemoth "8D8", which also throws some samples into the mix). In addition to its superb song title, "Life Shatters Into Pieces of Anguish" is probably my favorite of the tracks; while "Deterioration" amps up the heaviness factor a bit and—at least musically—really starts to hint at where the band ended up. All in all, this is a great look back at the band's earliest output that also reminds me why I was a Noothgrush fan in the first place. I haven't really listened to any Noothgrush in a good while, but now I'll be pulling all that stuff out again soon.

The pressing info is 150 on clear vinyl (50 of which had a foil-stamped logo and included a large embroidered patch, but those already sold out), 350 on black vinyl, and 500 CD's (50 of which include a small embroidered patch), so make the grab if you like what you hear...

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Fuck Yoga Records