After over two incredibly action/drama/injury/tour-soaked years of constant insanity, North Carolina sludge crusaders WEEDEATER have completed their long-delayed, yet more anticipated-than-ever, fourth full-length release. The intoxicating ten-track brutalizer, dubbed 'Jason... The Dragon', has been scheduled for worldwide release on March 1st, 2011 via Southern Lord Recordings.
After over a year of literally crippling injuries to all three of WEEDEATER's members hitting the headlines, including infamous classics like "Dixie Dave blew off part of his foot with a shotgun," or "Keko tore his meniscus this week," and "Shep broke his goddamn pinkie on tour" or even "Dixie nearly died in his ninja-scuba assassin Halloween costume" and more, the band still forged on through these blows for multiple tours -- several regional and national headlining tours, as well as supporting Down and The Melvins -- to finally complete this record. Although delayed by eight months, the haggard trio infiltrated Steve Albini's Electrical Audio Studio in Chicago this past September to pound out 'Jason... The Dragon'.
As with their Southern Lord debut 'God Luck And Good Speed', the 'Jason..'. album was mastered by the legendary John Golden at Golden Studios in southern California, unearthing the true grit that this band dumps forth. With no argument to be had, 'Jason...' is by far WEEDEATER's most varied and organic recording to date, taking their caustic, chest-collapsing, resin-coated ultrasludge to new otherworldly new realms of delirium just by taking it all closer to home, stripping their tonal onslaught down to acoustic bass at times, perfectly infusing a bit of banjo and piano, and even utilizing some new vocal tactics. Diehards fear not; this IS still WEEDEATER. It's just WEEDEATER at their finest hour... yet.
Check out the Arik Roper-created cover art for 'Jason... The Dragon', live WEEDEATER footage and more here.
Jason... The Dragon Track Listing:
1. The Great Unfurling
2. Hammerhandle
3. Mancoon
4. Turkey Warlock
5. Jason....the Dragon
6. Palms and Opium
7. Long Gone
8. March of the Bipolar Bear
9. Homecoming
10. Whiskey Creek
WEEDEATER promises to kick off 2011 hard with this release, having already booked a headlining US tour for February and March, with a European tour in the planning stages to take place shortly thereafter on their way to smoke the hordes at Roadburn, and with countless more tour rampages to be announced throughout the whole upcoming year in support of the album. One can only envision the horrendous aftermath to be announced from the WEEDEATER camp throughout 2011... Stay tuned for more updates as it all hits the fan.