SWAMP WITCH
is the culmination of psychedelic substances, occult practices, and a
collective interest in dark, strange, and ultimately hallucinogenic
music originally devised with the sole intent to commit and record
ritualistic extremities through heavy music only for the night of
9/9/09. In the aftermath, members found themselves pressed to continue
the slow-burning drudgery sparked on that September ninth into the
months that followed, leading to shows, recordings, band members towing
themselves out of the smog from Central Valley, California and into
Oakland (and Arcata, respectively) and finally, the vinyl release that
recollects the original material of that evening: Gnosis.
The punishing, murky layers protruding from 2011's Gnosis
recordings drip with the trance-laden, drug-induced efforts of '70s
psychedelia compressed into the claustrophobic toil and painful
repetition of '90s sludge. This concept of Gnosis actually seems
more akin to H. P. Lovecraft's ideas of psychosis and derealization as
the only thing the feeble human mind can experience when confronting
truth (cosmicism), as opposed to gnosis in the classic, transcendental
sense of the term. In other words, it's fucked up.
While Gnosis was being released on cassette, and finally, vinyl, SWAMP WITCH had already begun preparing material for what was to become the six claustrophobic tracks that make up The Slithering Bog.
To help achieve this, former drummer Dirk V took up second guitar
duties and helped further emphasize the psychedelic undertones heard in Gnosis,
while collaborator Adam T. took on drums. The end result of almost two
years of writing proved worthy, as warped landscapes and fungal textures
resting somewhere between dream-like and sleep paralysis culminated
into The Slithering Bog recording of late 2014.
The decaying sounds of The Slithering Bog
were captured during July 2014 at Earhammer Studios in Oakland,
California by Greg Wilkinson (Brainoil, Annihilation Time, Noothgrush,
et al) and mastered at Trakworx in San Francisco by Justin Weiss
(Ludicra, Slough Feg, Cormorant, et al). Initially released on cassette
last year via Transylvanian Tapes, the collection of nightmare rituals
that made this release so necessary and bizarre has finally oozed its
way onto vinyl on three color variants (black, purple haze and swamp
green) thanks to Tribunal Of The Axe Records who will unleash the
offering later this month.
For preorders visit THIS LOCATION.
The Slithering Bog Track Listing:
Side A:
1. Strange Cults
2. Marsh Of Delusion
Side B:
1. Slither Into The Circle
2. Bayou Tomb
3. Dead Root
4. Lost Symbols
1. Strange Cults
2. Marsh Of Delusion
Side B:
1. Slither Into The Circle
2. Bayou Tomb
3. Dead Root
4. Lost Symbols
"Fans of bands like Conan, Electric Wizard, Windhand, Cough, Yob, Moss,
and the such should keep a close eye on this band, as their evolution
and sonic trajectory seems to be aimed at exploring the most daunting
and uncharted realms of modern doom in a way that could uncover
unthinkable abysses in the genre. All praise the Witch, for she is
mighty, evil and powerful like none other!" - Cvlt Nation
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