Toasted For Pleasure...

Twingiant - Devil Down (2015)

Arriving with their second full-length album, this crew of heavy rockers from Arizona have packaged half an hour of slow, deep grooves, lightly sand-blasted and heavy with the bass.  Starting off with the rolling rock of "Old Hag", the band immediately calls up an atmosphere of fuzzy-minded late-night parties thrown in quarries or similarly craggy landscapes, heated by a pit of fire.  Twingiant show such a firm handle on their ability to work a riff that it's tempting to compare them to the heavy rock legends of the '70s, but there's distinctly modern touches to it, provided most noticeably in the deep growling yell of the vocalist.  The pronounced edge of the guitar meshes with the fuzzy warmth of the bass in a very tasty fashion, playing up both mean and mellow sides to the music without compromising either, and the drummer adapts with admirable ease to everything thrown at him by their wandering minds.
The band's done a great job in packing the heat of Arizona in autumn into this new album, and I fully expect to see this popping up on Top 20 lists once we hit the end of 2015.  It's one of those albums that just gets better and better with repeated plays, until you can bob your head away to the rhythms and grooves without missing a beat, all the way through to the big finish of the title track.  The album will drop for purchase on February 7th, so set aside some cash to pick up a copy, play it for yourself, and feel the warmth melt away those winter blues.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Celophys, Attalla, Major Kong, Aleph Null, Sleep

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Twingiant - Daisy Cutter (320 kbps)

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Tall And Dusty...

Twingiant - Sin Nombre (2013)

The dusty and gritty deserts of Arizona have brought forth sludge doomers Twingiant, and I for one welcome the dirty bastards with open arms. With their most recent effort, the band have self-produced five hard-hitting tracks that cover the complex realm of desert rock with a twist of metal madness. While keeping in time with the (dare I say) groove and funk of western-style rock, Twingiant’s growling vocals and cataclysmic bass lines spin the effort into a mish-mash of everything right in metal today. Given that the band have an exemplary way of showing how dirty and tough their sound can be, Sin Nombre remains a diamond in the rough amongst doom offerings these days because of the numerous moments of pure instrumental talent that presents itself at the most unexpected times. Short, sweeping guitars often break up the teeth-bashing breakdowns that provide a brief relief before the brutality continues. Interesting sample selections also help the EP grab the listener from the get go, providing substance and perhaps an explanation behind the songs, never overstaying their welcome or making the album seem hokey.

After a few listens, I can’t help but wonder what Twingiant has going on out there in the desert. All I know is, if you dwell anywhere near these guys, get out and support their grungy, grimy and all-around insane sound. Take care not to get too much sand in your nether-regions while you’re at it.

~Joe

For Fans Of; The Ocean, Pallbearer, Black Tusk, Saviours

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Sin Nombre (248 kbps)

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