Blood Island Raiders / Among The Missing – Split 12″ 2005

First release by promising new label Withered Hand Recs. The guy who runs the label is also in Among the Missing whose colossal 16 min track shifts into all sorts of styles and moods. It starts in a stoner/groove sorta vein before slipping into a more edgy sludge style, with the vocals changing from sung to screamed. Later the track goes more into tribal drumming with spoken/shouted vocal, reminding me a little of Neurosis. Overall a cool and interesting track.

Flip over to be crushed by the Raiders mighty ‘Night of the Frost’. Starting subtly with guitar and drums, this is the calm before the storm of twisting heavy riffs and tempo changes. All this is nicely complemented by Warren’s strong and soulful vocals. The last part of the track is taken with huge metal laden solo work over some awesome drum and bass playing with the drunken half really knocking it out. At 11mins plus this track is a metal epic, a classic of its time. Defiantly a band to watch.

To top it all off it’s on a lovely red vinyl with a good, sturdy sleeve. The label also has released a split 7″ with Among The Missing again and a band called Bumsnogger, entitled ‘Bum the Missing’, worth it for the title alone.

Label: Withered Hand Records
Blood Island Raiders: www.myspace.com/bloodislandraiders
Among The Missing: www.myspace.com/tenpoundsoffuck