There is heavy and then there is Ghold heavy. A two-man onslaught of Melvins-tinged, esoteric sludge and raw, hypnotic psychedelia, these Londoners’ new album Of Ruin sounds designed to redefine what it means to crush skulls and blow minds.
“We make music built around the unholy trinity of weight, groove and experimentalism,” says drummer/vocalist Paul Antony. “The three corners of that triangle surround us and inform our decisions. Our lyrics are born from south London nightmares, frustrations and temptations. Or perhaps they’re just the final utterances of two drowning men!”
Ghold may be a little too perverse and cerebral to appeal to those with a short attention span, but there is nothing pretentious or self-indulgent about the overwhelming physicality of their sonic excesses, whether lumbering at snail’s pace or ripping people’s heads off at full pelt.
“Slow, repetitive music brings about psychedelic spiritual experience if it’s done correctly but we also like to play fast when it feels right!” notes Paul, before adding cryptically that “riffs and rhythms do have a tendency to get their heads chopped off… maybe we’ve taken the role of the executioner rather than the monk!”
There’s no vow of silence being taken here. Be very afraid.
OF RUIN IS OUT NOW VIA RITUAL PRODUCTIONS/o:p
