Review: Coaltar Of The Deepers x Boris ‘hello there’
Japanese legends Boris have played around in pretty much every genre of rock and metal you can think of, and they’ve also collaborated with any number of great artists within. Enter Coaltar Of The Deepers, their fellow countrymen who started around the same time as Boris and who have also blazed a fairly unique path through a more alt-rock and post-rock direction.
Despite their influences on each other and their similar career trajectories, they’d only collaborated for the first time in 2019 and the idea for this split had been germinating for a long time. hello there is out now through Dog Knights Productions, and is a work of ‘self-covers’ to introduce their music to new listeners as well as share their love for each others.
Now, I’ve not listened to much Coaltar Of The Deepers before now, other than a cursory YouTube flick through as preparation for this, but as opener Wipeout bursts into life with traditional Japanese instrumentation and a driving, insistent riff, it is instantly appealing. Clean vocals interplay with a sludgy roar, while you’ve got tar thick guitar work and bass heavy low end entwining with lighter motifs as well. It makes sense that Coaltar Of The Deepers have been influential on Boris; their disregard of genre conventions is incredibly similar.
Their cover of Boris‘ Melody is a little cleaner but no less effective or psychedelic than the original, it just lacks a little fuzz and ethereality. Waterbird is excellent, a churning, almost Godflesh riff, overlaid with that dreamy post-rock atmosphere, ghostly clean vocals taking the song up from the darker places. A Morricone-esque sax starts the sludgy groan of Killing Another, the final piece of Coaltar Of The Deepers‘ part of the split, a thrashy, stonery d-beat thunder that seems totally out of place and yet works as a snapshot of a wider sound.
hello there is a triumphant work for new and old fans of both bands, a split that feels utterly personal and collaborative in a way most splits don’t…
You never know which Boris is going to show up to each release, which is part of their charm to be honest, but hello there has brought big sludgy all-caps doom BORIS to the party. Luna opens with lapping waves before Boris do what Boris do best; driving heaviness and ghostly beauty at the same time. Pounding drums, driving guitar and soaring melodic lines and vocals. It is a version of Luna from their split with Torche back in 2009, which caused me a little confusion at first as it is much shorter, but this is part of the ‘self cover, self reinterpretation’ ethos of hello there.
I also love the galloping, almost progressive thrash version of Quicksilver that follows, more proof if you needed it that Boris can turn their hand to almost anything and make magic. The original was laden with a punkish stoner rock vibe, but this one just gives it a little more bite. However, it is the glacial crush of their Coaltar Of The Deepers cover Serial Tear that is really special, their groaning riffs fit the Boris mould perfectly while there’s a progressively more frenzied and yet spacious journey to go on. There is so much happening here that you’ll have to listen numerous times to really appreciate the full nuance.
I make no bones about the fact I am a massive Boris fan, but to hear a band like Coaltar Of The Deepers for the first time and immediately notice and understand their influence on Boris is amazing for me. hello there is a triumphant work for new and old fans of both bands, a split that feels utterly personal and collaborative in a way most splits don’t. You can sense the love and respect these bands have for each other’s music as well as their own, and it is a fascinating snapshot into the potential ‘reinterpretation’ discography idea. Perhaps we could get a sequel…?
Label: Dog Knights Productions
Coaltar Of The Deepers: Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram
Boris: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram
Scribed by: Sandy Williamson
