Weedeater is a band that I had not heard much of until recently, and it turns out I really didn't know what I was missing in this gem of the sludge genre. These guys play a kind of sludge that is definitely influenced by stoner metal, and southern rock influences can occasionally be heard as well. This makes for an interesting album that is really all about atmosphere and making you feel like you're just being overwhelmed by the enormity of the music. Other bands have certainly pulled this off in more complex ways, but these guys do it very well and with a slow, crushing technique that I really enjoy.

The first song, Bull, opens with an immense riff and equally heavy drumming that just crushes. The vocals of Dave "Dixie" Collins soon come in. The low, tortured growls are pretty standard for this genre, but these actually convey some emotion as well as fit with the music. Like a depressed psychopath painting a musical landscape, the music and vocals together creates a very thick, suffocating atmosphere that is awesome. The guitar riffs are your usual heavy, distorted juggernauts. The production lends every guitar and bass note power that is rarely heard, though some may find the concentrated lower end of the sound annoying. Potbelly has some interesting guitar solo work, but guitarist Dave "Shep" Shepherd takes it up another notch in Dummy, layering his excellent guitar work for a more complex sound. This song definitely has some interesting, sort of meandering guitar work that is very listenable but also furthers this feeling of being lost or hopeless.

Despite the harshness of the vocals, they are still understandable at times, as can be heard in Time Served. The more I listen, the more I think these very raw, harsh vocals fit this music. Woe's Me shows a different side of Dixie's vocals though. This is a decidedly creepy song that is defined by low, clean vocals and acoustic guitar that creates yet another dark, melancholy atmosphere.

The extremely heavy basswork, also done by Dixie, is also a distinctive part of this band's sound, and can be heard at the forefront in many tracks. Just look at Riff, a monster of a track that begins with some slow, crawling bass, building the tension until the guitars just blast their way in like a steam powered battering ram. I could actually feel a wave of sound coming out of my speakers and hitting me. This just creates an enormous, rumbling atmosphere that I found to be really infectious, especially when played at high volume through large speakers. The only annoying thing is the electric distortions at the end of the song. The band also manages to create some melody throughout all of these sonic hammerblows. Kira May opens with some of the thickest bass I have ever heard, in fact the production might actually be too huge at the lower end. It just shakes everything around my speakers. This is quite a melodic bass line however, and it continues to get a bit more complex as it goes on, adding a bit of southern rock feeling. Overall it just fits as the final track, playing out slowly over a few minutes and sort of washing over you with an ocean of bass notes.

Weedeater have crafted a very interesting album here, creating music that can really draw you in yet stays extremely heavy and just plain violent at times. Needless to say I am quite impressed with this band. They manage to stay very true to the sludge sound, but use those elements to create atmospheres of the most powerful kind. Sometimes slower songs could get a bit monotonous, but overall I think the band stayed at a pretty good pace without tiring the listener. I was easily able to sit and listen to this 43 minute album in one sitting without losing interest. If you are a fan of bands like Cathedral, Electric Wizard, Orodruin, or really any stoner, sludge, or doom metal, I think you'll really enjoy this.