Slug Lord - "Slug Lord" ...

Do you ever wonder how bands come up with their names? What in hell is a Slug Lord anyway? Questionable band names aside, this band is another in a long-line of very good Finnish doom bands that seem to be taking over the world. Finland has to be the most prolific country in terms of the amount of doom it produces for its size but more importantly, the quality of its bands is up there with the very best of doom acts from around the world. Slug Lord are another Bandcamp discovery which further proves that Bandcamp is an incredible gold-mine for all things doom metal and stoner rock. As the name may hint at, Slug Lord are a fuzzy, THC influenced stoner-doom band that isn't big on originality but this EP does have one thing to set them apart from the hordes of other weed-metal bands and that is a awesome female vocalist in Johanna Rutto. She will get the obvious comparisons to Alia O'Brien from Blood Ceremony but I think she has just that little bit more charisma going for her but you can argue among yourselves on that one. This album or EP as the band calls it is a 6 track, 42 minute release that doesn't offer hardly any variation but that is not much of a issue because their simple yet brutally warm and fuzz-laden psychedelic doom riffing is infectious right from the first listen.

What is lacking apart from the lack of originality is some spark in the sound. Guitars are heavy but you always get the feeling that they should be heavier given the context of the style they are putting out there for doomsters to hear. The guitar sound isn't lacking in fuzz but it doesn't have enough bottom end and even the bass seems a bit light-weight at times. The production is very good but the sound of the band raises some questions. Also as the 6 tracks cruise along at a mostly faster than usual stoner-doom pace there isn't any tracks that stand out but there is certainly no bad tracks either. Tracks like 'Gastropoda' and the ironically named 'Speeding' have more than enough killer riffage and memorable vocal lines to keep stoner-doom fans happy.

Just a day before putting this review together, I was sent the news that Johanna Rutto is no longer in the band. I find this to be somewhat of a worry considering she is the bands most unique element and is what makes this EP just that bit memorable. I hope they find another vocalist of equal or greater substance because it is what makes this more than just another throwaway stoner-doom metal release. Fans of early Electric Wizard and the psychedelic occult/proto-doom sounds of bands like Blood Ceremony should find plenty to dig with this self-titled EP and if you want to talk potential..............yes this band has it. Smoke a bowl and give this a blast....7.5/10.


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