Slug Guts 'Playin' in Time With the Deadbeat'

Slug Guts have delved deeper into the abyss and somehow have achieved twelve songs even more damaged than 2010's 'Howlin' Gang'. Returning with their third album, second for Sacred Bones, the pack draw from tragedies the band have dealt with over the last year facing jail, death, psychiatric units, trials at court and rehab so it's no wonder 'Playing in Time With the Deadbeat' is their most turbulent work yet. Their new album plays out acute feelings of very Australian ennui utilizing discordant melodies tarred with gritty beats and tumultuous vocals, with all the moxie of post-punk that you might find in bands like feedtime touched by the cold sounds of industrialism.

Opener 'Scum' throws you into the pit with James Dalgliesh's belligerent vocals sounding like he's boiling nails deep in his throat apace with menacing guitars, frenetic sax and crashing rhythms. Amongst the stormy dissonance on 'Playing in Time With the Deadbeat' are infectious, bright hooks that secure a core grounding reverb and distortion. This is brilliantly shown on "Moving Heat", with a mirage of dueling licks from spooked guitars played alongside an unhinged sax wafting through forthright beats. "Stranglin' You Too", which also featured as a single for Hozac is another highlight with sanguine tinged melodies and rubbery bass. "...and I'll stay here" Dalgliesh's despairing voice calls out and gets lost in layers of reverberations, it's this sense of climbing-up-the-walls that best sums up tracks on 'Playing in Time With the Deadbeat'. Slug Guts new album is an oeuvre of frustration, dejection and turmoil, it's their pure and honest approach that makes this album hard to stop listening to.



Out on July 24th - find copies through Sacred Bones

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