It feels appropriate as we head towards 2024's conclusion, to feature once again the band who marked Clean Sheets first review (christ that feels like a lifetime ago) and who in a sense started it all, Manchester duo The Bear Around Your Neck.
With respect to the aforementioned coverage, the band's (who comprise Guitar/Vocalist Nathaniel Scott and Drummer Jay Temple) last release, the two-track A Two Faced Prince/With Your Permission to Rot impressed greatly and subsequently inspired yours truly to check them out live, which I did, supporting Sly and the Family Drone and Part Chimp at Preston's legendary The Ferret in August. A thoroughly enjoyable set was had and I even got the opportunity to have a quick natter with the lads beforehand. Therefore when Nate got back in touch recently with an offer to give their next single Mutated Faith / Clean Machine a write-up it was a no-brainer on my part. So here we are, locked and loaded once more.
With Nate's undeniably cool yet intentionally gross Horror inspired cover, the aptly titled Mutated Faith is the first of the release's two tracks. According to the band the theme here was “influenced by religious cults in a general sense...the main influence were the atrocities that happened under the guise of the fundamentalist church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints”. I have a feeling (though I could be wrong) that Nate may be referencing one of its leaders Warren Jeffs, a depraved and disgusting individual who thankfully is doing hard time for his efforts. It has a Vocal style reminiscent of Jus Oborn of Electric Wizard while the music's sludge like tendencies has shades of Godflesh's Industrial/Post-Metal hybrid as well as the Psych-Punk of bands such as Radar Men From The Moon, Gnod and their ilk. There's a lysergic, hypnotic quality to the music too which happens to be particular features of the latter two aforementioned bands. Finally an icy Black Metal sheen gives the whole thing an overriding eeriness, coincidentally one that feels entirely appropriate given the subject matter. A fantastic opener.
'Clean Machine' the longer of the two tracks speaks of “people who might struggle with addictions and the paranoia that comes with stopping heavy drugs”. The music has comparatively more of a Grunge sensibility that recalls the darker bands from the genre, ala Tad, Soundgarden, Melvins etc, so that if you were to transplant the best moments from Stoner Witch, God's Balls and Louder Than Love you would reach something approximating what you are listening to here. Also, if you happen to be as I am a fan of all things Christian Peters related (Samsara Blues Experiment, Fuzz Sagrado etc) and early Earthless (particularly their classic Sonic Prayer debut), then you'll be all over this, especially what with the infectious Eastern style melodies that showcase the band's incredibly musical diversity. I often am found complaining about the seemingly endless stream of bands from the broadly speaking 'stoner/doom' world hammering away at the same old tired subject matter involving weed, wizards et al and of course the usual Sleep/Black Sabbath riff worship. Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with bands of that type, I enjoy them to an extent, but its genuinely refreshing and exciting to encounter a band such as TBAYN adopting a far more original approach. Superb.
Unsurprisingly the duo have delivered another belting couple of tunes and while I have been enjoying these, what I am really thirsting for is another full-length release to land come 2025. Fingers and toes crossed.
Comments