Signed to the Small Stone Records label The Electric Mud have been around a while with plenty of releases to their name prior to Ashes and Bone, including, 2018's Bull Gator, 2020's Burn the Ships and 2021's Black Wool EP. The band's line-up comprised of Constantine Grim - Guitar, Pierson Whicker – Drums/Percussion, Peter Kolter – Vocals/Guitar and Tommy Scott on Bass.
I'm fairly certain the Fort Myers (Florida) quartet named themselves after the Muddy Waters' 1968 album of the same name, a controversial release as it embraced then emerging Psychedelic and Rock elements, which undoubtedly pissed off the purists. It'll be interesting to see whether The Electric Mud make a similar impact on the gatekeepers of the Stoner/Doom/Psych genre(s).
The first thing that comes to mind as 'Silent Gods' starts is “ooh, that's tasty” and by that I'm referring of course to the riffs. Meaty slabs of Southern Fried Bluesy goodness that appear to draw from the same influences as Corrosion of Conformity (Allman Brothers, 38 Special), however the use of beautifully melodic choruses stand it out not from Corrosion themselves but also NOLA bands such as Down, Soilent Green and Eyehategod. 'Top of the Tree' is the album's first preview track and it's easy to see why. A little faster it recalls Desert Rock pioneers Masters of Reality (particularly the S/T debut) as well as the Grungy darkness of Alice in Chains were they fronted by the late Mark Lanegan. A breathtaking piece. 'The Crown that Eats the Head's initial riff bears similarities to AC/DC's 'Thunderstuck' before going down a Doomier Soundgarden route with nice Psychedelic flourishes slipped in along the way while 'Gone are the Days' is incredibly soulful, musically referencing Graveyard's brand of Occult Rock/Retro-Metal, while again Mark Lanegan's distinctively rich baritone Vocals are featured.
'Wrath of the Mighty' starts with tense winding Prog before unfolding into a wonderfully mournful Blues jam. Props should be given both to the lovely guest Organ/Keywork of Joe Reppert as well as Jon Meek's Synth contributions, both players adding texture and colour to the track. 'Ashes and Bone' seemingly tips its hat to Black Sabbath not only musically with shades of 'Electric Funeral' prominent, but also in terms of the overall downbeat vibe and prevailing sense of hopelessness. 'The Old Ways' is more akin to straight-ahead 80's Metal with the main choruses refrain of “we must obey, the old ways” particularly Iron Maidenesque. This would ordinarily have me running for the hills (pun intended) but in The Electric Mud's hands it's a classier affair which is more Wishbone Ash than NWOBHM. 'Manmade Weather' the album's shortest number, barely reaches the three minute mark and takes a slightly more understated approach to its predecessor, yet still retains both a key sense of melody and Progressive touches that fans of Mastodon will appreciate.
'Pillars' is an odd sounding track, despite the thumping groovy Stoner Metal on offer, the Vocals on some parts for some inexplicable reason remind me of Power Station era Robert Palmer, yet it works! Its a fantastic track and one of the album's many highlights. At over nine minutes 'Ace' is the longest track on Ashes and Bone and potentially its most divisive. There's a soaring, anthemic quality not far removed from early Whitesnake and as with 'Pillars' demonstrates a willingness from the band to explore and broaden their sound even at the risk of alienating long-term fans and aforementioned gatekeepers.
In brief Ashes and Bone is an excellent album and one worth the investment both in terms of time and financially.
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