Wall - Vol. 2

 

 

Wall - Vol. 2
APF Records - July 2021
Stoner, sludge, doom, prog, southern, thrash
Rated: ****

The Cole twins have done it again, bringing their pandemic-born project Wall to further riff-fueled fruition on their Vol. 2 EP. Continuing their airtight instrumental stoner rock, Wall's sophomore release sees an expansion of sound in moving slightly away from sludge pummel towards brighter, southern-tinged stoner, with still a bit of thrash to boot. Opener "Avalanche" starts the steady stream of primo riffs with a winding, rolling stoner lick that does the song title justice as it transitions into a crushing chug. The wiry leads bring to mind Karma to Burn in their piercing tone, an influence paid further homage to in the later cover of "Nineteen". Nimble and crashing cymbal work pushes the sonic weight forward, and eventually the track slows to a haunting stomp in the aftermath. Follow-up "Tusk" continues the penchant for neck-snapping guitar and hairpin turns, spiraling into dissonance and chug before climbing out again a la early Mastodon. The rolling drums keep the wild fretwork locked in and unrelenting, a credit to the twins' musical bond. All pretense is pushed to the side on "Speed Freak", however, ditching the proggy sludge for straight up old school Metallica thrash, a hard-partying fist-pumping jam with a surprisingly warm earworm lead. Before closing out with the dusty, Western melancholy of acoustic outro "Falling From the Edge of Nowhere", the Coles pay tribute to recently lost friend and legend Will Mecum of Karma to Burn. Nailing a rendition of "Nineteen" in both tone and vibe, the cover carries their appreciation for the man and his music through loud and clear. With Vol. 2, Wall is planting their flag as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to pro-shop instrumental stoner that revels in exploring the genre and its nooks and crannies.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

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