Guiltless – Thorns (EP)
Release Date: 23rd February 2024
Label: Neurot
Bandcamp
Genre: Sludge, Post-Death, Doom, Noise Rock.
FFO: Intronaut, A Storm of Light, Baroness (older), Black Tusk.
Review By: Andy Spoon
The best sludge projects are the ones who bring an element of reality into the mix. Some of the best punk albums of certain ages (not to mention hardcore) were based on edgy social issues that are on the tip-of-the proverbial tongue of every frustrated youth in the scene. Guiltless seeks to take on some of the ugliest of major modern issues in its EP Thorns, set to be released on February 23rd, 2024, including climate change, economic issues, the coming violence of inevitable global conflict over resources, perhaps the deification of celebrities over scientists (my take). The band alleges, “we are all guiltless…we are all blameless”.
My main love of the EP is the gurgly, deep vocals which seem to penetrate and grind through the sludgy mix. Naturally, the down-tuned guitar and the slow-tempo drums mixed with the overdriven bass is going to yield a tonal whirlpool of depression and anxiety, but the vocals really seal the deal with Josh Graham’s (A Storm of Light, Battle of Mice) chunky growls. I was really impressed with the overall tone of the musicianship, given how minimal the instrumental input of a sludge act actually needs to be.
Guiltless’ sound is different from its cohort, but ultimately distinct enough to lend its voice to the genre. I found that it really emulated some of the overall atmosphere that listeners would get from Black Tusk, but with less of the southern rock. Guiltless sounds like the effect of Black Tusk having a little more death and black metal influence, at least to my ears. The collection hooks that come from the guitar section are really impressive, to me. I found myself really digging-in to the riffs on occasions, just hoping that the riffs might drag on a little longer.
In my personal view, an EP is a perfect way to see if there is a chance that a band will be successful in a new project. It’s enough material to play in a 20-minute opening set on tour, to sell on Bandcamp, and even look at making a single or a music video for a title track. The overall sound of the album wouldn’t necessarily give me the same vibes that I’d look for in a traditional single, but that’s also the entirety of sludge metal, so I might be out of pocket in trying to listen for one track that gets me “going” more than others. Although, if you forced me to choose one, it would be “All We Destroy”, track 2.
I think that the EP ought to give some idea of what the band poses to release on a more concentrated effort (duh); but I’d like to give my proverbial green light on that, as I thought the album was dreary, sluggish, and wrought with lyrical drama that fits the apocalyptic structure of Thorns from beginning to end. There wasn’t anything that made me feel like it was just a shitty mixtape. There is solid cohesion here. This band has something that’s going to honestly offer something to this genre, and absolutely needs to be sought further, at least until a full LP is discussed. Most EPs can have a track (or multiple) that just seems like a jam track, or something which was a b-side from another project. I didn’t find that to be the case with Guiltless.
As someone who is a fan of the protest genre, I think that I’m excited to hear the sludge and doom metal bands add their own artistic voice to the deconstruction of the societal pyramid that is based on consumerism and unethical usury. There is potential here that I think fans need to explore. If you enjoyed Baroness and Black Tusk, there is definitely going to be a lot of Thorns that you will dig, especially if you are looking for something with heavy subject-matter on top of a tone wrought with sonic weight.
(3.5 / 5)
