Under - Slick

Under emerged from the dreary depths of stockport and over the past few years, armed with beautiful hair and proggy riffs, have managed to forge themselves a reputation as a force to be reckoned with. This three piece have honed their sound on the live circuit through emotion driven live performances that have left audience’s jaws dropped and minds blown. Their eclectic take on stoner metal, that takes heavy inspirations from more experimental bands such as Melvins and Big Business, also draws sounds from a wider range of genres. Suffice to say after all their hard work the anticipation for their debut album is high and what they have to offer audiences in Slick does not disappoint. From the first lurching discordant riffs at the start of the album to the closing vocal harmonies, this 9 track treasure trove musical ideas delivers everything we’ve come to expect from these lads and a little more. Erratic complexity and odd time signatures are paired up against trudging heavy riffs, whilst passages of eerie calm often lull the listener into a false sense of security before the next bout of intensity. Thick groovy basslines add huge amounts of texture to their sound, sometimes break into twanging psychedelic licks. Whilst the ever present rhythmically building drums are ready to ricochet into a flurry of noise at a moment's notice. Scratchy distorted vocals play off clean vocal harmonies that have a real depth of sound, all the while delivering disquietingly cryptic lyrics that hint at a sinister world just behind the curtain of our perception ready to be drawn back and fully revealed at a moment's notice. Each song flows brilliantly into the next very rarely showing any wrong footing and building to the album's highlight, Below In The Wreck. A triumphantly building track that closes the album on a dizzying high. Slick is an album that begs to be listened to in its entirety due to its excellent composition with each new sitting revealing something new to the listener. Under’s music works so well because they wear their inspirations beyond stoner genres on their sleeves and let them heavily inform their sound. Musical elements that range from art rock, avant garde rock, noise rock, prog rock and even sensibilities taken from jazz, are what make Under such an incredibly exciting band. In a scene that is becoming increasingly stagnated as bands seem happy to rest upon their laurels, this is the album bands on the UK stoner circuit should listen to and think “this is the sort of music we could be making”.
9/10

If you want to listen to this album for yourself, Slick will be available on CD and digital formats through APF Records from the 31st of May