Asbestosdeath — Dejection Unclean

Asbestos Death were a late eighties pre-doom metal band, who sound a lot like they must've listened to a hell of a lot of Melvins and Sabbath records. They maybe have been exposed to Corrosion of Conformity, Saint Vitus or other punk/metal bands as well. Three quarters of this band would go on to form the ground breaking sludge-doom act Sleep.

Vocalist and bass player Al Cisneros and drummer Chris Hakius went on to form Om after the demise of Sleep, while guitarist Matt Pike went on with High on Fire. This EP is just what fans of Sleep have been waiting for, because it collects two hard to find singles from 1989/90.

The music is not as bass heavy or bludgeoning as you might think, but you have to expect this given the time period, and the production limitations. Melvins comparisons are apt, though this music is a bit less esoteric. You can hear the development of the style in which they would further hone into Sleep's stoner crud.

The vocals are pretty much an incomprehensible shout, so don't expect to catch the words. The guitar and the bass for the most part play exactly the same riffs note for note, and in some respects these tunes sound a bit like medium paced prog played by metal-heads.

The cool thing about this EP is that there's an enthusiasm which shows through, as if the band were thrilled to be in the studio for the first time. But because the band were still developing, and because it's unavoidable for the music not to sound anemic compared to the bass heavy Sleep, this release is probably not one for the neophytes. For the converts though, this will be indespensable.