Morass of Molasses Herald the “Death of All” in Fierce New Music Video
Just the other night, I was going through a couple dozen new releases. “Heard that riff before – skip!” It was pretty frustrating, actually. I long to hear fresh voices within a genre that, admittedly, is quite popular with both bands and fans, but can quickly get stale when you hear the same damned riff and rhythm played over and fucking over. What a delight, then, when I took ‘The Ties That Bind’ (2019) for a spin, the latest record from bluesy doom unit
Quite immediately, you could feel the joie de vivre in that opening number, “Woe Betide.” There nothing trite or carefully contrived about this band, consisting of Bones The Beard on bass and vocals, Phil The Mountain on guitar, and Raj The Guru on drums. They’re 100% committed and it makes a difference not only in their performance, but their music choices throughout. When Morass of Molasses sing about the “Death of All,” you feel the urgency. Occupying a space somewhere between Down, Doomriders, and Dozer, the Reading rebels affect a style I’d simply refer to shorthand as stoner-sludge, but perhaps it’s a compliment to the band that it felt tough for me to describe everything they’re doing on The Ties That Bind, outside of an oath: “Damn, this is bitchin’!”
“Death Of All,” Bones tells us, “is about the concept of Ego Death, in which a person has a complete loss of their subjective self-identity. Throughout the track, the ‘pulse’ veers back and forth between the calm, and frenetic feelings that this state induces.”
The greatest sin in any medium – movies, television, books, and music – is to be boring. That’s especially a danger with longer, slower numbers, where the strength of songwriting can be easily be exposed as thin and weak. Not so with Morass of Molasses. “Estranger” is a bonafide slow-burner that serves up steamy blues, dragged straight from the Mississippi Delta. The dissonant chords are especially effective when contrasted with the stingingly sweet solo passages.
“The Legend Of The Five Suns” delves into folk territory, a serene number that would make a great companion to “Space Cadet” by Kyuss. The song features guest appearances by Sian Greenaway from Alunah on vocals and Matt Ainsworth from Trevor’s Head on flute. It’s a reminder of how fitting wind instruments can seem in a heavier genre, in the right hands. A short improvised interlude, “As Leaves Fall,” sees the collaboration between Phil and Matt continue for another minute-and-a-half. Sian will make an encore appearance in “The Deepest Roots,” which closes out the record (don’t miss the irresistible vocal harmonies toward the song’s second half).
Nuanced musical choices abound throughout the album and this is no less the case in the fiery “Persona Non Grata” or penultimate track, “In Our Sacred Skin,” where unusual beats, gentle turns of a phrase, and witchy blues riffs make each song immediate and engaging. If it feels like there is a narrative afoot here, your instincts may be correct and I look forward to the opportunity to ask the band myself about it in the days ahead. Fans of Sourvein, Mad Season, and even Mos Generator will find much to love here. Look for The Ties That Bind on June 7th, releasing on Wasted State Records (pre-order here).
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June 7th will see Swamp master generals of the Reading scene, Morass of Molasses, return with their sophomore album on Wasted State Records.
The low-tuned trio creates the kind of lumbering heavy blues riffs which induce involuntary head nodding; finally Morass of Molasses awake from a brief slumber and emerge from the shadows to deliver their latest musical offering, 'The Ties That Bind’! Taking on an altogether more earthly visage, this album is framed by themes of human connection. It delves into the deep-rooted interactions we share with each other and ourselves. The Dark Forest motif that runs throughout this collection is the manifestation of these themes and uses familiar archetypes to guide us on this journey.
Effortlessly establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with, the promising career of Morass of Molasses has already seen the band sharing stages with such luminaries of the scene as Crowbar, Orange Goblin, OHHMS, Vodun, Elephant Tree, Desert Storm, Vodun, Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard and many more. Their first gutsy Jägermeister stage performance at Bloodstock Festival helped propel them into a relentless schedule of touring.
During this time, they released the self-funded debut EP, 'So Flows Our Fate,’ which not only garnered a tidal wave of critical acclaim but also brought them into contact with HeviSike Records. The very label which released their debut album 'These Paths We Tread.’ Closely followed by another momentous performance to a packed Sophie Lancaster Stage at Bloodstock Festival. More recently they impressed crowds at Desertfest London and HRH Doom vs Stoner at the O2 Sheffield.
The original lineup of Morass of Molasses met back in 2013 at a gig in Reading. The band name was inspired by an article on Wired.com about the Boston Molasses Disaster, where a giant storage tank of Molasses exploded, sending a wall of thick sticky syrup through the streets of a Boston neighbourhood. The headline for the article was 'Morass of Molasses Mucks Up Boston.’
When Morass of Molasses unleash their second album 'The Ties That Bind’ on June 7th with Wasted State Records, coming as CD, Vinyl and Digital formats, better be prepared for a musical exploration: Heavy low-end walls of sound blended seamlessly with delicate introspective passages!