SLOMATICS Reveal Monster Track “Ancient Architects” From New Split

After such an eventful year for doom metal in ‘17, the New Year was beginning to look a little sparse, to be honest. It felt like we’d just gorged on an extravagant 12-month feast and would have to be content with just picking the bones in '18. That was, until UK neighbors SLOMATICS and MAMMOTH WEED WIZARD BASTARD announced a new split on Black Bow Records. Let me tell you, this collaboration is nothing short of stunning. I’ve not heard Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard quite this heavy before nor Slomatics quite so majestic. Also, I love how well each band complements the other on 'Totems’ (2018), which is slated for release sometime in the spring.

Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard’s A-side opens with the irresistible, sylvan voice of Jessica Ball in a deliciously doomy 12-minute number called, “The Master And His Emissary.” “Eagduru” is next, presenting with an infectious interplay of crunchy rhythms and brilliant riffmaking from the rest of the crew. If you’ve still haven’t braved Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, because, say, you were put off by the tongue-in-cheek name (or worse, from sheer apathy and neglect), this pair of tracks presents a convincing case that the Welsh band belongs in your library, period. You might want to check out our feature on the band to get better acquainted with them, as well.

As the record’s flipside reveals, the Slomatics spacecraft is still cruising strong into the vast, dark unknown 14 years into the journey. Today, we’re giving you this exclusive first-listen to “Ancient Architects,” which opens the B-side with a fearful kind of power I haven’t heard since Slomatics’ 2014 epic, Estron. I believe awe is the word I’m searching for. There’s a worshipful quality to it, as well – like I’m watching something immense descend from the skies, casting shadows o'er the earth. More than that, it feels like we’re reaching our arms to those self-same heavens to embrace whatever it is coming down to us…or for us. This song, of course, deals more with creation than it does the scenario of a second coming. I’m not sure if there is any kind of mythos being tapped into here, be it Noadic giants constructing ancient pyramids or simply the force of creation itself, endowing life with endless variation and the will to survive over the span of generations. We’ve tried to poke the band for thematic hints in past interviews, though they’re giving out few. In any case, the epochal spaciousness of this song is breathtaking.

“Silver Ships Into The Future” carries this mysterious, almost reverential vibe forward with a rare three-minute piano interlude from the Belfast trio. My mind immediately wandered to the great ol’ sci-fi standard, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, when the humans attempt to communicate with the strange, almost angelic collective of greys by way of a simple keyboard pattern.

“Masters Descent” closes the split, perhaps more along the lines of the scenario I outlined above. It begins with the same deliberative pace we’ve come to recognize and expect from Slomatics over the course of many albums. Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, “Masters Descent” runs exactly 8:12 – the same length as “Ancient Architects.” Certainly, the two complement each other nicely as bookends, with the closing moments of “Masters Descent” returning to a similarly awe-inspiring atmosphere that “Ancient Architects” introduced us to.

Totems was produced at Skyhammer Studio by Conan’s Chris Fielding, then sent to the ever-capable James Plotkin for mastering. Sonically, it definitely shines, with plenty of depth, presence, and an overall sense of grandeur. You can pre-order this beast via Black Bow Records here. While you wait, “Ancient Architects” will give you a foretaste of the glory and power to come!

Give ear…