Split EP
Two heavy hitters of Portland, Oregon's underground heavy music scene, HOUND THE WOLVES and GLASGHOTE, teamed up and released today, August 2nd 2019, a split EP to where each band contributed two songs.
A little bit of history for those not familiar with one or both of these two bands:
Started in 2015 as an art project among friends, Hound The Wolves, quickly evolved into a full-blown heavy rock experience. The band's principal songwriter Juan Carlos Caceres, surrounding himself with a team of outstanding musicians, brought to fruition the act's acclaimed debut, "Camera Obscura", early last year, 2018.
Tim Burke: lap steel, drones, soundscapes
Juan Carlos Caceres: guitar, vocals, words
Cory DeCaire: bass
Ryan McPhaill: drums
Nate Wright: Moog, aux percussion
Glasghote formed in 2017 in the basement of founding members Jake Shaffer (guitar and vocals) and Jordan Huston (drums) with the addition of Chad Johnson (bass) coming just a few months later. In one short year the band signed with Doom Stew Records and released their debut full length, "Rite of the Siren", late 2018.
As I've mentioned earlier, the just released split EP features two tracks from each of the two bands. Nothing unusual about two bands releasing a split record. Rather noteworthy are the stylistic differences between Hound The Wolves and Glasghote, with each band representing distinctive musical domains in the realm of rock/metal.
Hound The Wolves offers "Godhead" and "Live through the Day, Run through the Night", two relatively extended tracks, clocking at almost twelve minutes, and seven and a half minutes, respectively. Two extremely well put together compositions, a clear continuation to their 2018 debut record. The psychedelic/post-rock act pulls euphonic inspiration from the mysterious and clandestine maneuvers that occur behind the shroud of darkness. The band exploits the space between light and darkness, as well as occult and spirituality, translating into serene soundscapes. The aforementioned elements further translate sonically through droned patterns; earthy and worldly rhythmic density; and meditative, cyclical repetition that make for a haunted psych-metal experience. If pressed to draw an analogy, Hound The Wolves makes for a modern-day Pink Floyd continuum.
Hound The Wolves songs were written and arranged by the band with lyrics by Juan Carlos Caceres. The songs were tracked by Jeanot Lewis-Rolland at the Magic Closet and JLR Audio Productions, mixed by Jeanot Lewis-Rolland, and mastered by Ryan Foster at Foster Mastering.
The two tracks offered by Glasghote, "Croatoan" and "Eye of Ra", each clocking at over five minutes in length, are almost in opposition to the first two tracks on the record. Gone is the serenity and the meditative soundscapes ... The duo of bone crushers from doom metallers Glasghote, exude great vocal despair, and bleed intense guitar feedback and bone shattering tones. The sludge metal affinities making a rather important contribution to the band's wall of sound. The band pulling influences from Thou, Primitive Man and High on Fire.
Glasghote's songs were tracked, mixed, and mastered by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Melvins, Weedeater) at Hallowed Halls Recording Studio.
Conclusively, Hound The Wolves and Glasghote, two up and coming acts, splitting a record in a contrast that exemplifies the range of styles and textures that Portland's underground scene has to offer.
© 2019 by Emil Chiru