Brent Hinds Presents

Without A Face + West End Motel

Calling Fiend Without A Face + West End Motel—a side-band doubleheader from Mastodon frontman Brent Hinds—a vanity project might be a little harsh. After all, Hinds’ unearthly growl has never been vain. But there’s a dull self-indulgence to the two-band release that makes it tough to chew. Hinds flexes his twang on Fiend Without A Face, a cocktail of surfabilly and exotica that occasionally—like on the manic “Green Slime”—kicks up some excitement. Less spirited is West End Motel, a stiff, stilted take on Tom Waits’ barrelhouse surrealism. “We are here to entertain you,” slurs Hinds drunkenly in West End Motel’s “…And We Are Here To Entertain You.” Granted, he’s cracking a joke. Too bad it feels like it’s partly on the listener.

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“Green Slime”