SPANCER (Slowly We Rock) CD
Since the day when I received their first self-release MCD 'Countdown to Victory' I fell in love with SPANCER's raw rampant heavy sound. They never tried to hide that they are huge fans of Saint Vitus and Sleep, but with every further release they step out of the shadows of both bands and work with success on their own profile. Meanwhile they have not really much in common with Saint Vitus and Sleep, apart from a few riffs and have developed their own brutal sludge-driven rock. 'Slowly We Rock' showcases the groups latest development, and one of my first impressions is that they never sounded so ambitious, dirty and nasty like here. This is their first full-length, but that doesn't mean that you find a couple of songs here. The album consists of three epic sonic monuments with a running time between 10 and 17 minutes. Again the two bass-player build a solid foundation and they drag the whole sound into regions of lowest frequencies, while the extreme vocals of Markus Münz leave a strip of annihilation in the head of the listener. 'The Art of True Mastership' is the first song here with lyrics that are strongly influenced by Eastern fighting philosophies but also by the art of planting sinsemillia.
After a spoken intro the two basses slowly enfold their crushing power and it takes some time before guitarist York Wiese adds a few chords to this relentless monster of a song. The band's chemistry is perfect and within the song, there are a few changes of pace, before it ends with a few spoken words. 'Throne of Wisdom' is a ruthless mid-tempo track, which reminds me to the US-band Soulpreacher. SPANCER's weighty riffs are crafted with enough depth to pull the listener in, while still being as mind-blowing heavy as hell and catchier than ever. 'Soulcadger' is maybe the fastest song they've recorded until now, but after half of the playing time immense, monolithic riffs start to hypnotize the listener. It's always a pleasure how they use the sound of both basses to create some strange tones, supported by additional guitar feedback. SPANCER don't exactly surprise but their concise and considered approach can be captivating, and the sample at the end of 'Soulcadger' shows that they haven't lost their sense of humour. 'Slowly We Rock' has been released in 2007 by The Church Within Records, and it's not only the next proof for the good taste of the label, but also an evidence for the vitality of the German sludge underground. SPANCER is definitely one of Germany's most promising heavy bands and this is their best release until now.
(KK)
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