Review: Fuzz Evil ‘Smear Merchants’
When The Sleeping Shaman hosted a premiere for the lads in Fuzz Evil last month, I had a few listens to How To Vibe Alone and for seven minutes, my mind was taken away on a long rifftastic journey. It’s one hell of a track from Arizona’s heavy fuzz titans, so I decided that I fancied delving deeper into their new album.
Smear Merchants sees the band going into a new dawn with drummer Kenneth ‘Cajun’ Adam and multi-instrumentalist Preston Jennings joining brothers Joseph and Wayne Ruddell, to create a formidable foursome that has seen them push their boundaries further than before.
They’ve crafted ten new songs, well nine and a bit, as opener The Fraile Mourning Of Eternity is only 16 seconds long and really should be added to track two, Wanderer’s Wake, in my honest opinion. However, all is forgiven when you hear that stunning opening riff as it stinks of stoner, fuzzy wonderment and from there on in, they don’t put a foot, or note, out of place.
The sounds feel heavier, bolder and more intense than before, with the baritone guitar of Jennings adding greater texture to their sound. They are creating soundscapes that are immersive and redefining what the band can do. It’s a big plus for me that they are pushing themselves into unchartered territories but coming out on top with a wonderfully executed set of songs. You can sense this in Doomsayer’s Lament as there’s no compromise on this instrumental offering, with Cajun’s intricate cymbal sounds allowing the rhythm to play around at will whilst he keeps it all together.
The Juice Is Loosh has that languid and lazy stoner feel to the riff that shows more diversity in their playing style. The bass from Joseph Ruddell has that exquisite hypnotic feel that propels the song forward. This is followed by the shorter, more dynamic and punchier Sermons Of The Defiant as they continue the audible assault on your senses. The screaming vocals are fun to listen to, and as much as I’d love to have heard the song develop, it cuts off quite dramatically, leading into the title track, Smear Merchants.
it stinks of stoner, fuzzy wonderment…
This one sounds different, more sinister and evil, almost satanic in sections, as they create songs with more depth and character. It allows them to showcase what they do best, and the tempo changes are determined by the fluctuating intensity of the riffs, highlighting their unique vision.
The crusade continues with Progression Of The Black Sun which has a softer vocal to go alongside a more controlled rhythm, but as it’s eight minutes long, I expected the unexpected. My feet are tapping and my head is slowly banging along as they build the song up in sections, with the riffs getting heavier before it decelerates down to walking pace, frosted over with an icy chill. As I said, I expected the unexpected, and it delivered on those words perfectly.
Under The Starlit Grave sees some feedback thrown at the listener before the torrent of noise slowly wraps itself around your body with deep layered sounds, making your head turn all over the place. The aforementioned How to Vibe Alone steps up with the band commenting that ‘this track is the final passage, moving through the struggle and intensity of the album into something more accepting, more resolute’. It is an outstanding song that doesn’t flinch for a second and has given me a new life motto! If they don’t print that on their tour t-shirts, then they are missing a trick as I think it’s a brilliant mantra.
It all ends with Whispers From The Abyss and once again, they deliver another different sounding track full of psychedelia. It feels like the reawakening of a new season, the sun rising over the horizon as you wait with bated breath to see shoots of new life all around you. Or it’s one hell of an acid trip, take your pick!
Label: Desert Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
