Asbestosdeath
Dejection, Unclean
Southern Lord (2007)
If you are at all familiar with doom metal you should no doubt be aware of who Bay Area legends Sleep are, and how big an impact they had/still have on the genre. And you're most likely aware of the post-Sleep projects High On Fire and Om. But you might not necessarily know that Sleep had its humble beginnings in the form of Asbestosdeath, a late 80's/early 90's sludge band that featured all members of Sleep (bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros and drummer Chris Hakius, who both went on to form Om and guitarist Matt Pike, now the frontman of High On Fire) and guitarist Thomas Choi, who later formed ItisI, Operator Generator and Bay Area sludge lords Noothgrush. During its brief existence Asbestosdeath only recorded four songs which went to two separate 7 inches: Dejection, which was released by Profane Existence and the self-released Unclean. These songs have been out-of-print for sometime but Southern Lord has stepped in and re-released both 7"s on one compact disc so that we may hear the conception of the legacy Sleep created. Pretty much right off the bat with the first track "Nail" you can hear how Asbestosdeath evolved into Sleep. It opens up with … Read more
Ben Weasel and His Iron String Quartet
These Ones are Bitter
Mendota (2007)
Growing up, Ben Weasel was the total embodiment of punk rock to me. Sure, NOFX was the band that hooked … Read more
Two Gallants
The Scenery of Farewell
Saddle Creek (2007)
Two Gallants have left many critics, myself included, dumbfounded for a means of describing their music. Those less talented have … Read more
