By now, you probably know that I enjoy my fair share of weird. There’s something about art which makes the normal seem bizarre that immediately appeals to me, as I am constantly trying to escape the mundane which seeks to suffocate us. That’s why my ears immediately pricked up when I listened to the first few notes of “Trickle of the Snail”, the first single from Vitskär Süden‘s upcoming, self-titled album, as my eyes took in the artwork which accompanied it. The track, and the band, feels like standing in a great desert, a portal elsewhere trickling a psychedelic otherness into you as you do. They’re very much of the desert/psychedelic rock persuasion but there’s an undeniable power in their music that’s sometimes lacking from the genre. Head on down below for your first, molasses-like taste!
Oh boy. Where to start? First, there’s the enchanting tone of the lead guitar; thick and pronounced, it sets the tone for the rest of the track, as the static-laden sample recalls to mind the eldritch, occult vibes of the track’s lyrics. Then, there’s the undulating backing guitar, its delay unfurling as if as a brushstroke the sandy dunes upon which this tale is being told. Lastly, instrumentally at least, the bass and drums recall to mind The Bakerton Group (that Clutch offshoot) and, indeed, Clutch’s more spacey, laid-back explorations of off-kilter Americana. Adding the glazing layer, the final touch, are the deep vocals, unwinding the story at their own pace. Everything comes together, alongside the cover for the single (and the amazing cover for the album itself) and the lyrics, to conjure the dark otherworld in which Vitskär Süden’s “Trickle of the Snail” takes place.
Vitskär Süden, the band’s debut album, releases on May 22nd and pre-orders are now live on the band’s Bandcamp page above. Make sure you check out the other tracks that are streaming there; they all rock in the same kind of roiling, pregnant way that this one does. All hails the horizon; something wicked comes from it.