Punk-edged swamp rock overflowing with riffs that are slow, fat and fuzzy. This is southern metal.
Reviewed by David Feltman
Every time I hear a two-man band, I’m amazed at the big, big sound it gets. I don’t know if this is the result of over-compensation or better chemistry, but listening to Irata I now find myself convinced that duos simply get bigger sounds than larger groups.
Greensboro, North Carolina’s Irata is big and mean and loud. By big I mean vast, massive, expansive and other similar synonyms. Shit is dump truck big. But there’s more to it than the wall of sound. That sound is colored with punk-edged swamp rock overflowing with riffs that are slow, fat and fuzzy. This is southern metal.
Irata sounds like Perry Farrell singing for the Melvins. There’s really no other way to describe it. The duo delves into math-rock, utilizing offbeat time signatures and Messhugah-like circular phrases. The songs build sluggishly and deliberately forward then backward then inside out. Every song has a trudging pace that never exceeds mid-tempo and only goes from hard to harder.
My only complaint about Vultures is that it’s too short. Granted it’s an EP, but it’s an explosive one. This is five tracks and 21 minutes of southern metal bliss. And once that time is up you want more, immediately. Band members Jason Ward and Jon Case have created something special and dripping with energy. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
You can find more about Irata on Facebook and get your copy on November 1, 2012 (Pig08pig/Silver Records).
