Well, Bad Men clearly enjoy weed culture and Harry Potter jokes – which is by no means all this EP exhibits. The duo, dazed out of focused in the cover image of this offering, is an accurate idea of what is to come, as labelling the group anything other than a unique outfit would do them a massive disservice. The influences run in line with Mantar, Melvins, Iron Monkey, and the desert/stoner rock vocal vibe of Kyuss, when the vocals are not a blurred wave of bristling roars.
‘Groin’ and ‘Less of the Lip’ are awesome bookends on this EP, but what truly shines is the title track. The grit and raw angst within the track is harrowingly apparent as the opening overdriven riff rumbles along. Spilling out of the tumult like blood from a wound, the vocals blister forth with an acridity that burns the ears like bile stings the nostrils. Everything boils together in a primordial sludge that seeps deep into the mind and drives it to craven depravity. It has a corrosive sonic effect akin to Fistula, with ‘Destitute’ from Longing for Infection being a prime comparative example from their discography.
Bong Weasley is an impressive offering packed into three tracks that showcase a broad diversity of heavy influences upon the duo, as well as displaying Bad Men’s creative sonic power. There are a myriad of directions that Bad Men could take based just on this sampling, but whatever may be on the horizon for them it will not disappoint.
Bong Weasley is out now via Trepanation Recordings and can be purchased here.
Words by Garrett A. Tanner
