INTER ARMA • Sulfer English 2 x LP

INTER ARMA- Sulfer English 2 x LP

Relapse Records

I really have appreciated Richmond, Virginia’s INTER ARMA’s earlier releases a lot. I’ve given this double LP a listen more than once and just can’t hang or relate to it, and I’ve really wanted to. In my opinion, they seem to have moved away from the heavy doom, Southern stoner sound and traded it all in for a later NEUROSIS vibe. NEUROSIS have always been innovators of sound, and have not been afraid to pursue new/different sounds. With INTER ARMA this record, to me, doesn’t feel truly authentic in the way their earlier releases do. It is almost forced and copied. For me there isn’t really much interesting or even new with Sulfer English, it just sounds like what Relapse Records would want I.A. to sound like (a NEUROSIS clone). The production is great, the musicianship is terrific, but I feel as though they went from almost finding or having their own sound to clearly taking an influence and just rolling with it at full steam. Sorry guys, you lost me on this one.  (NW)

 

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Justin Dratson: JD   Nate Wilson: NW   Matt Average: MA

 

SLEEP Live at Third Man 4 x 12″ box set

Sleep – Live At Third Man Records 4×12” Box Set

Released in March of 2019

Third Man Records

For those living under a rock for the last couple of decades Sleep is a three piece stoner rock/doom band who worship the almighty Black Sabbath.   I, like many folks, am a huge fan, and pretty much like and own their entire discography.  

From the get go upon hearing of this release I some how got it in my head deciding that I wasn’t going to order/buy this because it was ridiculously expensive and gimmicky (a club edition).  It seemed like a cash grab to me.  From the moment I heard about it I just wanted to hate it.  Four records, all different colored wax (Blue, Green, Purple, and Orange).  Locked grooves… packaged in a box jacket,  live songs recorded at Jack White’s venue in Nashville.  It all just seemed like utter nonsense.  Like a RSD product that nobody needs.  

Well I did not buy it as I previously said but I managed to get a copy to review.  I immediately fell in love with it.  This, of course, after a build up of me wanting to hate it for months and months.  I went into this thinking it was going to somehow suck.  It doesn’t suck, its very well done.

The reality is that it’s so beautifully put together that its hard not to just spend time looking at every aspect of the packaging and being mesmerized by the quality of the product as the music pounds through your speakers.  

The recording is straight up dope.  I’ve seen them live and this sounds like being in a room with them while they mosey through their set.  I cranked this while doing late night mailorder, and immediately had my wife came down stairs and reminded me that we had a sleeping baby in the house.  Uh-oh!!  

The sound quality is killer.  It was recorded in front of a bunch of dirt heads.  They used a direct-to-acetate system and then mixed/mastered in real-time.  I don’t fully understand what all that means, but it is pretty insane sounding.  

At any rate I don’t think this is a necessary part of their discography that one needs to own.  After a few listens I’d guess I’d become fairly lazy with being able to get the right records back into the right sleeves, and into the box.  It seems like a lot of work to basically listen to one or two songs per side, flip it over and then go through the same process over again through all 4 records.  

The tunes…

A
Leagues Beneath 

B
Dopesmoker (Part One) 

C1
Dopesmoker (Part Two) 

C2
Holy Mountain 

D1
The Clarity 

D2
Aquarian 

E
Sonic Titan 

F1
Marijuanaut’s Theme 

F2
Giza Butler 

G1
The Botanist 

G2
Dragonaut

(NW)

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Justin Dratson: JD   Nate Wilson: NW   Matt Average: MA