Towers - II

Jesus on a piss-stick! Towers are back with their new offering

"II" and it is a masterclass in how a band can/ and should progress
from album to album.

I reviewed "The Fields" in 2011 - read Here but this time around
the sonic duo have really delivered some outstanding tracks and
show what can be done with drum/bass/vocals.

The sludge element is still the driving source but this time around
the songs are infused with ideas and atmospherics that bring a
more doomy and psych feel - combined with a hardcore aggression
that keeps the menace swirling around the tracks.

This is an album that demands to be played in one sitting. You are
carried along in this soundscape from start to finish and as a cohesive
whole blends into an almost epic concept album.

Vocals are screamed, muttered, crooned and chanted with effective
and creepy results. The sound is of course low-end but with many
different effects and playing styles, the middle end of the musical
scales are well catered for. The production is just great - everything
sounds full on without losing clarity or aggression.

Drones and sound effects are used along with quieter passages to bring
the pace and feel down - not to a peaceful interlude though - more like
"walking down an unlit street and hearing nothing apart from
something that appears to be following you".

This is highly recommended.

Buy from Eolian Empire

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Thanks to Dave for sending this to me.

Towers - Upcoming Events

Towers - the Portland sludge band - who delivered one

of the albums of 2011 - read review Here - have some

dates coming up that if you are in the area, you need to

show support and get your face melted off!

The first event is the "Ceremony of Sludge" festival put

on by Captain Couch Records - this features sludge/metal/

doom/heavy bands from the Portland area and Towers will

be playing on the second night - March 3rd.

Full details Here

Then on March 19th they play at the "Portland Metal

Winter Olympics"! This has been set up by Nanotear

Booking Agency and involves bands being judged by

members of the local music community. The winners

get studio time and other stuff. Towers have come

through the rounds and now play in the semi-final.

Full details Here

If you can, show them some love.

Towers - The Fields (2011)

Band request from Portland, USA.

Towers play impressive Sludge/Stoner and everything

is LOUD! These 5 tracks were recorded live with no

overdubs and from the sound would be an awesome

band to see live.

Hearing the dense, heavy songs on display - if this is

the material they have having only formed last year,

I cannot wait for the next release.

The atmospherics and pacing of the songs are a

masterclass in how to create crushing heaviness

without retreading the genres cliches.

This reminds me of the Melvins at their most rifflicious

and savage best - give these guys a Listen

Below are links including free download from Bandcamp

Here is their press release:

We formed in 2010 in Portland Oregon, the band consists of Rick Duncan (Bass/Vocals) Max Rees (Guitar) Darryl Swan (Drums)
We just finished recording our first album "The Fields", our bassist owns Electro Motel (recording studio) in Portland Oregon. We recorded this live (no overdubs) all of it is analog on 1'' tape. Rick Duncan (our bassist/vocalist) recorded and mastered the entire album. We started playing live recently and have shows booked here in Portland in the coming months. We are on Reverbnation at http://www.reverbnation.com/towerspdx, facebook at www.facebook.com/towerspdx, and bandcamp at www.towerspdx.bandcamp.com