I’m always amused reading non-Doom fans write reviews of Doom. Not knocking them too much, since the heavy underground needs all the press and attention it can get. But still, it’s kinda quaint when they compare bands to other bands. Annoying when they put down the genre as well, like calling it a “despondent wall of noise that trudges along…”
Fair enough. But for those who live for the nuances, one persons despondent trudge is another persons “tone henge.” Which is a long intro for a Quickie post. But the subject at hand is Telekinetic Yeti’s Primordial, out now on Tee Pee Records. It would take pages to explain why this release is so damn awesome. Not sure how I missed this, but their debut a few years ago made my playlist but didn’t stick with me. Guess I didn’t expect much.
Primordial is gonna stick with me. This USDA Prime Stoner/Doom, a relentless avalanche of riffs and beats that’s destined to be on heavy rotation for the foreseeable forever. The title track is kind of song most bands would save for last, but they chose to open with the kind of satisfying mega-riffing that Stoner/Doom folk like me die for. And they do not relent after that. For a comprehensive and comprehendible review, I suggest reading this piece from Martin Williams at the awesome Sleeping Shaman.
Alex Bauman has crafted some of the finest playing possible, as heavy as imaginable, without a bass player. Some clever signal-splitting, amps and effects and he pulls it off. Drummer Rockwell Heim’s drumming is as much a part as the shredding done by Bauman, without cloning Chris Hakius or Meg White.
I prefer not to think of music like this as “punishing.” Many have written that, or something similar, and that’s not all that inviting to the un-initiated. Then again, Primordial is probably not a good starting point, anymore than a $1000 bottle of wine for a first-time drinker. This is highly refined, majestic, relentless music that truly gets better when you realize just how much they don’t sound like anyone else.
