Speaking of Steve Albini, he recorded God Luck and Good Speed (Southern Lord, 2007) by Wilmington, NC’s Weedeater. Vocalist/bassist Dave “Dixie” Collins has done time in heavyweights Buzzoven, Bongzilla, and Sourvein. Thus, Weedeater unsurprisingly brings more downtuned filth, this time in the NOLA sludge/doom style of Eyehategod, Down, and so on.
God Luck and Good SpeedGimme Back My BulletsGimme Back My Bullets (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
This record is about riffs, not songs. Collins’ voice sounds shot and is basically sandpaper icing. The most interesting tracks are the aberrations – a lovely banjo/acoustic bass number (“Alone”), a quiet piano ditty (“Willow”), and a bulked-up cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Back My Bullets” (from the album of the same name, which celebrates its 32nd birthday this Saturday).
But if the heart of the record is sound, it’s a good one – big, bluesy, almost genial. The booming drum sound recalls the one Albini captured on High on Fire’s Blessed Black Wings. He said this about the recording sessions:
The band Weedeater just did an album here that was scheduled to take 5 days, but they knocked it out in 4, and I think we were done by 8pm every day. That’s a pretty easy session. If you’ve ever seen them, you know that they have a unique and gnarly sound, but that sound is built-in, and I didn’t have to do anything special. That one just sort of fell off the truck complete.
This quote comes from the most incredible Internet forum thread I’ve ever seen (next to Hot Women of the Israeli Military). In it, Albini holds court on a poker forum about things rock- and poker-related. The thread is incredibly long (66 pages!) and eventually gets so lame that Albini starts posting only in haikus. But damned if each time I visit it, two hours of my life don’t disappear.
God Luck and Good Speed is available physically from Southern Lord and The End, and digitally from Amazon.
This record scratches a very specific itch, but if you’re missing new Cavity / Eyehategod / BUZZOV*EN / Sourvein records, it will scratch that itch good. I picked this one up when I saw them live (with Wolves in the Throne Room, Earth and Sunn(((O))))) on the 4th of July(!). I agree that it’s another uncluttered, solid recording job from Albini; I’ve got some other Weedeater records with wetter production, and I prefer the relatively open and uncluttered sound of this one.
You will never think the word “genial” again about Weedeater after you’ve seen them live. I guarantee it. Collins is a solid dude (I talked to him for a little while when he was pushing merch at the show), but genial he is not. Puking on the stage is de rigeur for him during live shows, and Weedeater are much more malevolent live than they are on record, in sorta the same way that seeing Six Feet Under is not at all like hearing them on record.
Ah, you were at that show! I was out of town then. Lineup looked incredible, though.
Yeah, I was a bit surprised by how not-mean this record sounded. But I can see this stuff getting more teeth live.
SFU are already pretty evocative on record to me, so I’m curious as to what they’d be like live.
Good album; band was also good in a live setting.
As the resident redneck, I have to chime in with my approval of this. Not only is the original stuff good, but the Skynyrd cover was above reproach, and that’s coming from somebody who LOATHES Skynyrd covers.
Not sure I hear as much DOWN as you did though, the structures seem a little loose for that, but nonetheless a great review of some good music.
You’re right, Johnny, Down are more about the songs. But I think both bands drink from the same well and just, um, excrete different things.
Man, I fucking love this album. If I’m in the mood for some dirty, massive, bluesy stoner/sludge/doom, this album hits the spot like no other! Weedeater are also one of my favorite bands to see live, just because Dixie Dave is so fucking crazy on stage. I prefer to see these guys when I’m absolutely hammered as well, just because I feel like I’m able to truly “feel” those songs when I’m in that state of mind…I don’t know. That would be a good blog entry actually…in what kind of metal state do YOU personally like to experience a metal show, generally speaking?