Fister / Dopethrone Split 7"

Format: Digital

Label: Independent

Release Date: May 11, 2016

“THE LAST THING YOU’LL EVER HEAR”

The gruesome threat which is boldly printed on the exploitation film-style artwork of this download should give listeners and fans a great indication of the bad musical intentions long-standing St. Louis-based doomsayers Fister and supernaturally stoned, murderous-sounding Quebecers Dopethrone bring when paired together. The track “The Failure” from Fister is first, and, if one would like to further the grindhouse comparison, it’s the Cannibal Holocaust of the split. It’s long, grueling and outstandingly wretched.

“The Failure” features guitarist Marcus Newstead’s squalid riffage, stamina-rich feedback sessions and protracted, bloody howls from nearly the second the track begins. These assailants work in torturous tandem with Kenny Snarzyk’s stalking, behemoth-sized bass work and the calculating percussive punishment dished out by Kirk Gatterer. At just under eight minutes, “The Failure” places your listening ears on suspension hooks, eats them and tortures your friends while you watch. Towards the termination of this sonic cannibalizing the track fades out, leaving phantom images of the inscrutable macabre seared in the imagination.

Secondly and lastly in this double feature, Dopethrone’s “Host” is more similar to an occult slasher, rife with Satanic ritual and the stench of old, bloody leather and burnt rubber. The pace is, compared to the opener, quite a lot faster and definitely more driving. Vincent Houde’s guitar playing sounds like “stoner doom,” perhaps, but it’s far more doomed-sounding than stoned. With Carl Borman’s steady rock paces, shifting at times to sludgier terrain, and the variable thrum of Vyk Daigle’s bass, Houde’s work to complete this track is remarkable for its heavy, bluesy nature. However, the track is as close to the blues as chronic, untreated depression.  His vocals here are lecherous rasps punctuated by laughter. They’re grim commands to acquiesce to great, dark powers.  

In all, this split bears repeated listening because it is, simply put, a killer release and is also an excellent example of sharp, bloody-minded musicians collaborating well to create a work that should absolutely appeal to fans of the inextricable elements of heavy metal and horror.

• Reviewed by Richard Jaspering for Mondo Metal STL on May 13, 2016

Buy the Fister/Dopethrone split 7” here or right here

Tags: #doom, #stonermetal, #sludge, #fister, #dopethrone, #stlouismetal, #mondometalstl

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