Review: Asteroid Witch / Greenseeker – Split
Since the end of the Mayan calendar on December 31st, 2012 astronomical events occurred in the 21st century. Technically speaking, the Asteroid Witch and Greenseeker split is included. Split LPs always do it for me personally, especially now in this day in time versus my earlier years brought up by the compilation releases and split records on Man’s Ruin.
They appear out of nowhere as a spontaneous combustion compound of volcanic doomsday ash just imploded. Or at least the sound quality gives off this impression. At face value, it appears to have its own theories of fuzzy songs on each side. Some are titled or about astral projection. Now, that we are at the tail end of the Mayan calendar, this might be a savvy idea to get hip about anything astral with all the solar eclipses, aligned planets, and blood moons taking over the heavens.
One thing I am going to stay hip about moving forward are the newer generations of fuzz rockers releasing split vinyls again. I could have gone without knowing about another witch-titled band because it’s clearly an exhausting subject, especially after Dixie Witch (ATX) and Burning Witch (LA) were at the beginning of this fad. I could fall to stand as a jaded metal hippie-chick-know-it-all in the end, just by mentioning it, but plagiarism is such a fine line to cross. It’s especially fine with the amount of Electric Wizard bands running rampant. When it comes to Asteroid Witch, others just need to proceed with caution if they find themselves in the same rock snob debate about occult themed band names.
pure wizard chemistry…
In a worst case scenario, the calendar of the gods is just now on the year 2012 and we failed miserably keeping track of time all this while. If this were the case, you would absolutely need this album to crossover to the other side of the end days. If you could only take one record with you, do yourself a favor and make it UFO’s double gold, gatefold vinyl of Lights Out though. No ancient culture could predict today’s death with dignity laws, and Judas Priest might be an alternative backup grab.
Getting back to Side B of Electric Valley Records latest release, we find down-tuned hymns as if guitar solos were written backwards more so than forwards. In moments of their synthetic doom, Greenseeker leak out heavy Portland metal prescriptions like a pharmacist. It’s pure wizard chemistry at best. This split is certainly not forbidden. It almost sounds like Arthur Brown, only with flamethrowers. Strangeness is a given on the four tracks by Asteroid Witch and two dark, boot stompers by Greenseeker.
How this compares to other infamous splits from our sonic, raw-powering past is stored for another dual topic forum. If it wasn’t for Unida and Nebula doing their split LPs, I would have never landed and found Dozer or Lowrider. Memories are made even if this full-length isn’t the most memorable one to date.
Label: Electric Valley Records
Asteroid Witch: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Greenseeker: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram
Scribed by: Spring ‘The Strutter’ Chase
