FACES OF THE BOG - Ego Death
Label: Self Released
Released: 2016
According to this band promo info they were "conceived in a dingy practice space in the fall of 2011 in Humboldt Park, Chicago". IN OTHER WORDS the band started out in a $100 a month rental storage unit in a part of Chicago where they weren't likely to get robbed or get lead poisoning if ya know what I mean. Next "the band relies heavily on atmosphere and mood to create melodic textures accompanied by crushingly brutal riffs, guiding its listeners through a psychedelic journey all the while". IN OTHER WORDS they smoked a lot of pot inside that storage bin over the years until one day one of the band members suggested that they turn some of their jams into songs.
Ok that's probably not true (or is it?) since listening to this a bunch of times. They could be straightedge for all I know. One thing you can't call them is generic. FACES OF THE BOG come from that sludgy side of the street but on this their full length debut this Chicago four piece stretches the genre's boundaries. At first listen I wasn't too impressed but I just kept listening to their songs and allowed their formula to take over. I'm happy I did. I can't say I love all the cuts on here but for the ones I do, well they're worthy of your attention. Songs might not be the right word description. Cuts like "The Serpent & The Dagger" and "Drifter in the Abyss" are more like sludgy psych damaged interpretations of tales from a book handed to them by some traveler from the astral plane. Look at the cover art to see what inspired me to write that line. The band uses powerful chunks of sludge riffs as a tribal summons with added barked vocals. Later on a calm clean ritualistic vocal tells the tales.
The title cut is probably the most head crushing moment on here and even that's partially tinged with some psych/progressive elements. Their opus is "Blue Lotus" is an eleven and a half minute sludge/psych closer with touches of HAWKWIND meeting NEUROSIS for a toke in an alley behind a nightclub. You can't help having the song dragging you along to the point where you lose sight of what you were doing. Kinda like the time I saw this red eyed albino dude in downtown. I stopped and stared at em as he walked by on the other side of the street. Then I ended up following him for a few blocks until I realized oh shit I've got to get to work.
If you're interested then you can buy this from the band's Bandcamp site. Then again you can wait it out because in the Spring of 2017 DHU Records will be releasing Ego Death on vinyl as a 2X LP. Hopefully it's a gatefold sleeve because that way you can listen to the music while you clean your weed. Ah yes, memories from the 70s. Pass me the bong, I think I'm Ozzy.
Rating: 3/5
https://facesofthebog.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/facesofthebog
