The Shooters - Dead Wilderness


Dead Wilderness was added to my wishlist based upon my Bandcamp feed showing some promising activity a while back. For whatever reason, in my head, I was thinking this was a band by the name of Shooting Guns from Canada whom, being a good band, just didn't quite muster enough clout to garner high praise from myself. Once I got to digging around and after I had listened to the latest album several times I noticed the band were indeed familiar after their bandcamp page came to light showing off their back catalogue and the album Planet of the Black Sun in particular. It sometimes confuses me when the band and the label distro have the same albums up on different pages. The label page offers the album at 1 and the band page offers it at 5 which includes lyrics. I’m kind of bummed I went with the cheaper option once I realized the lyrics were included in the band’s page download. It’s always great to confirm the lyrics on heavy rock n roll, which doesn’t always present itself in the clearest fashion.

Upon hitting play on Dead Wilderness, the apparent 3rd full length album from the Spanish rockers, just less than a week ago I was blindsided by the extremely powerful fuzz attack from the get go. The songs are relatively long by stoner fuzz standards but they have that grip that keeps you at the edge of your ear buds the entire time. Intoxicatingly catchy grooves palpitate like my heart rate as I type this from the stationary bike at the gym. Dead Wilderness, throughout its 6 song arsenal, manages to extract a spine tingling sense of joy seldom achieved on first listen let alone each successive listen. There is just something special going on beneath the lethal fuzz.

The drumming is as hot as an ignition wire on a freshly hijacked hot rod, the vocals purr like an African lion on steroids, and the groove swirls like the Sahara Desert sands in an infinite dust devil. The raw power and grit summons an indirect comparison to the first listens I had to the album Nocturnal’ by Aleph Null early in 2014. Just something totally odd, yet fascinating about the structure of the epic length desert rock tunes. I encourage you to check these guys out and for a measly 1 it could be yours to download. Your hard drive will thank you later.

Highlights include just about every song but in particular I was astonished at the 1-2 punch of songs 3-4. 'Roots' begins with a paralyzing riff leading into an infectious vocal harmony bridged with blood shot eye guitar interludes. The song relentlessly crams riffs down your skull cavity with what seems like an unforgettable melody and not for one minute comes across as monotonous, despite its length of over ten minutes. Again, not typical for stoner metal, but with unmistakably bitchin' production it works wonders. The song fakes like it's over around the 7 minute mark slowing down to a doom pace but revives itself with a mind numbing closing 2 minutes. Before you have time to completely catch your breath 'Lucifer’s Word’ blares its wicked riff pattern into your ears cinching your mind like a hangman’s noose, “YEAH!! |You won’t know me as your enemy |You won’t stand me when I’m by your side |You won’t want me to arrive” The brutally beautiful chorus line carves a sense of fright into the scene with the melodically sludge soaked rhythm. The entire album is all win and I have been just as into it on each and every repeat listen. The album closes out with a gorgeous instrumental ditty that absolutely shreds. I can't say enough good things about Dead Wilderness. I certainly find it a cut above the last album Planet of the Black Sun, which was a brilliant album itself. Bandcamp album of the month and its only day 2!

-The Huntsman


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