"Combining elements of doom and sludge metal, stoner rock, prog and more, Spider Kitten are one of Wales’ best kept secrets, their driving percussion and sublime fuzz of their guitars balanced by the hypnotic vocals."
Metal Hammer
“This is the sound of sludge flowering in instinctive rivers before it has time to harden and crack… This is the sound of a band on inspired form.”
Rock-A-Rolla
“Their ampstack-torturing attack has blossomed into a thing of diversity an intrigue beyond Sleep/Wizard worship, via sci-fi psych, gravelly blues and a slightly grunge–derived melodic sleight of hand.”
Terrorizer
There are some bands whose sound would benefit less from a description and more from a comprehensive lab test, and Newport, South Wales’ legendary anti-heroes Spider Kitten is most definitely one such band.
Signing to Undergroove in 2014 for the release of their last full-length Behold Mountain, Hail Sea, Venerate Sky, Bow Before Tree, new album Ark Of Octofelis is the end product of eight months writing and recording during sessions that saw the band trade straight-up doom for headier, astral climes. Amon Düül II, King Crimson and an unmistakable Floydian influence permeate the record, which, over two tracks explore one conceptual theme. A theme driven by malevolent and authoritarian powers, unexplained goings-on in the desert and a local psychedelic rock band’s quest to recapture the landscape.
Produced by vocalist and guitar player Chi Lameo – who originally founded the band back in 2001 – while Spider Kitten’s experiments with sound may have continually progressed, one thing that hasn’t changed is their approach to making music. Whether recording demos, EPs or full-length albums, their furiously DIY ethic is as dogged now as it’s ever been. With frightening prolificacy they have amassed a back catalogue that swallows a universe of styles ranging from proto-grunge and heavy psychedelia to doom and industrial noise. All drowned in the influence of artists as diverse as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Leonard Cohen, The Melvins and the dirtiest miscellany of Sub Pop’s early output.
While Spider Kitten have both expanded and contracted their line-up in recent times to accommodate their ambitions, their live line-up currently consists of Lameo, drummer and former Taint member Chris West, guitarist Gareth Day and bass player Steve Jones. The quartet will take to the stage this year at London’s DesertFest (29th April – 1st May) and appear alongside the likes of Electric Wizard, Corrosion Of Conformity, Crowbar and Godflesh.
Ark Of Octofelis by Spider Kitten will be released worldwide through Undergroove Records on 29th April 2016, but in the meantime you can sample and share a taste of the album’s unearthly delights via new song ‘One From The Heart’ here – https://soundcloud.com/sheltered-life-pr/spider-kitten-one-from-the-heart-undergroove-records/s-VA8Bv
Spider Kitten:
Chi Lameo – Vocals, Guitar
Chris West – Drums, Vocals
Steve Jones – Bass
Gareth Day – Guitar
Artwork by Luke Oram – www.lukeoram.com Spider Kitten on Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Web
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