Warship

Supply And Depend

[4/5]

Although From Autumn To Ashes fans should rightfully mourn singer/drummer Francis Mark’s decision to put the band on ice, they can still take sweet solace in Warship, Mark’s new project with FATA guitarist Rob Lauritsen. Warship is a true departure for the duo, who’ve traded the technical fury of FATA’s speedy metalcore for ominous walls of detuned doom. For their debut, Supply And Depend, they more than pull it off, crafting one huge, ugly, lumbering ogre of a record that is so satisfyingly heavy, it’s the kind of aural pummeling you’ll want to repeatedly endure. One obvious strong point is the riffs-having only been a recent addition to the FATA fold, Lauritsen has taken on a greater songwriting role with Warship. On Supply, the guitarist/bassist responds with an absolutely gargantuan effort, cranking out a fierce riptide of sludge only matched by the ferocity of Mark’s throat-gouging screams. Even more extraordinary is the record’s diversity-moments of sheer brutality like “Toil,” “Fetus Flytrap” and “We’ve Never Been Equal” find their melodic counterparts in the woozy space rock of “Lousy Horoscope” and “Indoors,” while overt forays into stoner metal like “Where’s Your Leash” are gloomy-good fun. Amazingly, this record is heavier than a nuclear sub-and just as elusive. (VAGRANT) Brendan Manley

ROCKS LIKE:

Black Sabbath’s Master Of Reality

Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger

Vision Of Disorder’s Imprint