ninehertz

Rome's Subsound Records is a lovely label to follow, in not tying themselves down to any specific genre you can come across sludge to post rock to psych (or electronica or dub...) and more, with a remit of interesting and different rather than on a set style. Unknown to me until now, they've also been running a split release series for more than twelve years now, with a neat common artwork theme pitting characters from two different films against each other. I arrive here on the tenth installation, presumably entering my consciousness due to the inclusion of Tons, paired alongside the post-metal of Viscera.

Tons, of course, have shared vinyl with a band much closer to their style before, on Heavy Psych Sounds' version of a split series, Doom Sessions - then with Bongzilla. It is a band oft associated with them - Tons' early recordings were distinctly influenced by Gateway and the like, they shared stages with them, and there's been a clear shared sole vision inspiration of the power of weed - summarised best in their last album title (Hashension). They've always been a great band and more to the point, have stepped out of that shadow in recent times, to be as good as their once masters, and a sludge band of international renown in their own right.

They provide three tracks here, each with their own distinction. Rime of the Modern Grower, is, as the name hints, classic Tons - stoner end sludge that sounds marvellous. After a minute of build up, it rolls forth with fuzz groove goodness, the squirted vocals spot on. This is exactly how you want the weed-head end of sludge to sound, thick full of riffs and then galloping joyously away in its second half. Next up is a surprising Nirvana cover, of one of the lesser known (relatively speaking) In Utero tracks, Milk It. Naturally it's bulkier, but they keep true to the low and eerie atmosphere of the original, supplementing with grunts and screams to a pretty effective outcome. They end with Boards of the Unlighter, completing a true mix bag of styles with a breezy salt-air blast of surf rock, most unexpectedly.

Viscera/// are a new band to me, described in short as post-metal (which is not my thing), but the longer description is infinitely more intriguing - referencing a concoction of genre ingredients also involving "blasting grindcore, new wave and heavy psych". Two songs "proper", bookended by tracks of electronica and ambient, almost spacey noises, it is Celebrate Death that acts as my first true taste of Viscera - very clean vocals over something more post-hardcore than -metal, only the secondary vocals, much harsher, counter that. Mystical Cherry Bomb is a really nice combination of whimsical airy vibes and the return of the space effects. Whether they're always like this or taking the opportunity to try new things here is something I'll have to find out by checking out their stand alone releases, and I'm definitely inspired to do so.

The series is a really cool premise, the consistent aesthetic making it something you'd want to follow and collect. And there's a real sense that the bands have taken it on, had fun with it whilst "released from their usual lines" as the label succinctly puts it, and that freedom and joy is passed on though the speakers as you listen.