Sons of Intrepid - Self Released

The thing with a plain white sleeve like this is that it can be a little hard to get a read on the band inside. Like Spinal Tap's None More Black or The White Album it could be some kind of statement about minimalism or it could house the most extreme reaches of metal or just experimental sine wave tones. I definitely did not expect the heavy southern rock sound from Oakland's Sons of Intrepid. Their attitude and style is reminding me a couple other bands reworking this ballsy late '70s stoner sound like Wolfmother or more recently The Enthusiasts or Hot Lunch.

A thundering beat opens "Best of Luck" with tough, gravely guitars layered in cinder blocks and real snarl from Justin Hallstrom on vocals (awesome - must be a stage name). This hypnotizing beat methodically trudges along with almost metal style vocals that have gone over to the other side. This chord crunch is unforgiving and it fades out with feedback down to nothing but that thunderous drumming. Sons of Intrepid still worship at the altar of guitar and when used like this massive plow, there's nothing like it. The comfort in the repeated riff and stutter jump chord with a down home quality to this, that is after all, a couple of dudes just wanting to sift through that Motorhead, slightly blues rock sound blown out to shit kicking velocity. They grind this final swampy section to get their bendy distortion fix, smashing away at that rhythm boring into the skulls of all involved. Serious grinding and work ethic, the drums perfectly recorded in a cavernous marble vortex finish the job here.

B-Side's "Tonight" is an homage to a Van Halen late 80s ethic of sticking it to the man coming at it with a heavier feel but they're still just being jerks at heart. Justin walks that line between harmless rule breaker and tough mother fucker. Something is going down tonight...I'm guessing it's Friday and the Sons of Intrepid want to party hard in a field lit by headlights hoping to get wasted enough to pass out before they try to drive drive home. This track is powered by heavy solid grooves and just dead straight distorted guitar. A three piece that plays like they have something to prove.

Recorded and performed in Oakland, pressed on coke bottle clear vinyl, too tough for sleeve art get it from the band.

No tracks to embed, head over to their site for outtakes from this one.