Taunt / Stumm – Split 7″ – 2007
This 7″ was initially released in June 07, but due to problems with the 1st pressing, Calculon decided to do a re-call and get the record re-pressed and re-released in August 2007 which is how it should have been first time around, so if anyone still has a copy of the 1st pressing, please contact Calculon and they’ll happily replace this for you.
Right onto the music in question, I was really looking forward to this slab of doom as although I’m familiar with the awesome Stumm, I’d never heard Germany’s Taunt previously who start the proceedings off with their track ‘I’ which rumbles into life with its heavy, slow & resonating chords which are backed up with a tempestuous drum pattern that helps form the structure of the whole 7 ½ minute track. There are no vocals present on this track, instead Taunt rely on the journey the music takes you in, which essentially has little in the way of change, just punishing despondent riffs which build then fade while the drums form the backbone, holding the whole soundscape together.
Flip over and we’re introduced to Finland’s Stumm and like Taunt, deliver us with just over 7 mins of punishing tortured doom, their track ‘2×6’ greets us with a wall of feedback which morphs into a monstrous opening riff and you suddenly realise just how fucking heavy this band are! Coupled with the agonising screams of vocalist Jukka which really help suck you in, but then just as you totally don’t expect it, they hit you with a barrage of riffs, screams & cymbal heavy drums before fading out with despondent feedback.
All in all, a cracking little release from Calculon Records and comes highly recommended for fans of Grief, Corrupted, Ocean, Winter etc
Label: Calculon Records
Taunt: N/A
Stumm: www.stummsludge.com
Scribed by: Lee Edwards