Windhand - Live At Roadburn 2014

(Burning World Records, 2014)

If you’ve not heard of Richmond, Virginia’s Windhand then you’ve probably been living under a rock for the last three years. From an intriguing practice space demo to last year’s critically acclaimed Soma(their second album), Windhand have literally had the wind beneath their wings, lifting them to the lofty heights of doom stardom in a very short space of time, landing them international tours, multiple represses of their records and a split with fellow Virginian doom legends Cough along the way. And last year it even took them to sludge and doom’s most hallowed grounds, Roadburn Festival, where this vinyl-exclusive set was recorded live on the Main Stage to a packed crowd of evidently enthusiastic festival-goers.

What got Windhand to this point (if you didn’t know) is their infectious combination of simple Sabbathian riffs and singer Dorthia Cottrell’s catchy vocal melodies, and while their take on doom has never been an innovative one, it is quintessentially pleasing nonetheless. The guitar tone, the pace, the occult imagery, and the hooks all combine to eradicate the need to intellectualise their music, and instead makes you want to light up a big fat doobie and nod your head to it. Dorthia’s vocals have an air of mystery about them; throaty and buried deep in the mix, they are simultaneously cloaked and omnipresent – never quite audible enough to be the driving force of the band’s songs but never entrenched to the point of being secondary.

Thankfully, Dorthia’s vocals are significantly higher in the mix on Live at Roadburn 2014 than they are on Windhand‘s studio recordings (where they are intentionally buried below the guitars). This is a welcome change and for once her powerful voice is given centre stage placement where it belongs. The band rip through text-book renditions of five of the six songs on Soma (more on that later), including a mighty version of Orchard with that huge, bouncy riff and Ryan Wolfe’s clattering drum fills, as well as an epic but slightly more vinyl-friendly (ie. edited-down) Boleskin to finish off the set. What is abundantly clear pretty much straight away is that these guys are tight, having toured fairly relentlessly for the last few years, and it’s a breathtaking performance all round.

One of the slightly disappointing aspects of Live at Roadburn 2014, however, is that the tracklisting (as I mentioned earlier) is almost exactly the same as last year’s Soma, except that the album’s acoustic centrepiece Evergreen has been replaced with Winter Sun from their debut album. On a similar note, the renditions of these songs – while powerful – are almost identical to their album-version counterparts. In turn Live At Roadburn 2014 can begin to seem like a bit of a museum piece rather than the kind of live album that mixes up album tracklists, presents a cross section of the band’s excellent back catalogue or offers wildly different versions of the songs. Contrary to, say, Yob’s The Unreal Never Lived – Live At Roadburn 2012 which clearly bills itself as an album being played in its entirety or Wino’s career-spanning Live at Roadburn 2009, this set feels more like another reissue of Soma.

To a certain extent this is to be expected from a relatively new band promoting a wildly-popular album, but given the time constraints perhaps the band could have thrown in a couple of the shorter tracks from their debut album such as Black Candles or Heap Wolves (which no-doubt kill live) in place of Boleskin to make this a more all-round enticing record to hardcore fans and newcomers alike. That being said, it serves as an excellent introduction to the band and while it’s a shame that they didn’t elect to play more of their earlier songs (which feature some of Cottrell’s most unforgettable melodies), their musicianship and unity is the stand-out element on these recordings. Live At Roadburn 2014 would be highly recommended for anyone who wasn’t able to attend Roadburn last year, went but missed their set or who didn’t buy Soma when it first came out. And needless to say it is an essential purchase for all Windhand and Roadburn completists (who this release was obviously catered for). However it might be surplus to requirements for the rest of you.

[Originally published on The Sleeping Shaman, 16/10/2014]

http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/w/windhand-live-at-roadburn-2014-lp-dd-2014/

Cough / Windhand - Reflection of the Negative

(Relapse Records, 2013)

Richmond, Virginia may be a city better known for its blues, country, and bluegrass music and the Richmond Folk Festival than for heavy metal, but if you delve into the murky underground scene, you will realise that it is home to some incredible bands, including occult misery veterans Cough who need no introduction, suffice to say that they have been peddling their own unique strain of despairing, cacophonous sludge and doom since 2005. The remote scene that spawned Cough also gave birth to doom upstarts Windhand whose practice room demo, and last year’s debut album, have made them ones-to-watch in the US metal underground. The ties between the two bands (which now includes sharing a bass-player in Chandler Parker) come to the fore on this split release put out by Relapse Records which is comprised of two new Windhand cuts and one mini-epic from Cough.

Cough‘s contribution, “Athame”, is a nasty, spiteful occult anthem of grief, despair, and “ritual suicide”, shaking its tar-blackened death rattle slowly across your ear for 19 minutes. Languishing at a pace like the drip of Chinese water torture, Cough envelope you under their cloak and the darkness doesn’t let up as vast, dark waves of guitars, seismic drums and Parker’s gut-wrenching vocals entrance you into a depressive stupor.

Comparatively Windhand are, no pun intended, a breath of fresh air, if for no reason other than Dorthia Cottrell’s lofty – dare-I-say, uplifting – vocals. “Amaranth” gets to work immediately and is instantly more uproarious than any moment on Side A, the main riffs propelled with more energy making it clear that Windhand’s aim is slightly more skyward-facing than Cough’s introspective, consuming approach. “Shepherd’s Crook” almost feels like a slowed-down and stretched-out take on “Amaranth” but this allows Cottrell to lay more of the infectious vocal hooks that made their last EP so enjoyable on us. As ever with Windhand, it’s the authenticity and style with which they deliver their music as opposed to any large sense of originality that will appeal to the out-in-the-open or closeted Sabbath fans out there but Windhand are instantly recognisable and always thoroughly enjoyable.

All this leads one to wonder if this is the year of split releases? With a handful of excellent splits already under 2013′s metaphorical belt and at least a few more due before year end, ‘Reflection Of The Negative’ is as good an argument for the vitality of the format as any, presenting two geographically remote bands who both have differing and kick-arse interpretations of doom. Whether this split is intended as a taster for future releases for both bands on Relapse Records or not, it’s clear that the future is looking good for Cough and Windhand.

[Originally published by the Sleeping Shaman, 25/04/2013]
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/c/cough-windhand-reflection-of-the-negative-split-cd-lp-dd-2013/

Windhand - S/T

(Forcefield Records, 2011)

If you’re here then there’s a pretty good chance that you are (at the very least) familiar with a little-known band called Black Sabbath. Some of you may even own a few of their records. Others of you may have even been inspired enough by them to start a band of your own (and rewrite their songs under different names). So let’s just face it, Black Sabbath are fucking awesome and they are probably one of your favourite band’s favourite bands. But very few bands have been as shamelessly, repeatedly and, for the most part, poorly emulated as those Brum doom lords. Which is why Windhand are such a breath of fresh air.

At first glance you might be confused because Windhand are clearly unashamedly Sabbathian in the same way that many other heavy bands are. The difference is that Windhand do Sabbath with such unadulterated and unapologetic rock swagger that they somehow manage to make the sound their own. They also make you want to jump out of your chair and start stomping around the workplace punching co-workers as you go by in a mindless haze. Or maybe I just hate my workmates. Regardless, the Richmond, Virginia band, who first piqued the interest of the stoner and doom community last year when they released their excellent two-track “Practice Space Demo”, have now released their self-titled debut which sees them continue in much the same fashion.

In fact the album is book-ended by the same two tracks from last year’s demo, albeit in their re-recorded and fuller-sounding forms. And the new songs don’t deviate too far from the formula of those first tracks: Big Muff-enhanced riffs forging singular paths into the next Big Muff-enhanced riffs with the occasional guitar solo to create an opportunity for listeners to swing their heads round and round and get lost in the psychedelic landscapes the band forge. Structurally the songs are simple and uncluttered; the pace is pleasantly slow, Ryan Wolfe drumming lazily (in a good way), waiting for the right moments to throw in the occasional fill.

But what really makes Windhand stand out is singer Dorthia’s vocals which float omnipresently over the primal, molten riffing below her like a toxic vapour. On first listen I thought the singer was a man with a Perry Farrrell/Ozzy Osbourne-by-way-of-Mike Scheidt style delivery but further spins revealed the inherent and unique femininity in Dorthia’s warm voice. Even more impressive are her vocal melodies which are memorable and instantly familiar, particularly on “Heap Wolves” where the vocals weave in and out of the riffs in the way that Layne Staley worked his way around Alice in Chains’ twisted melodies.

Featuring former members of Facedowninshit and Alabama Thunderpussy, Windhand always stood a pretty good chance of being a good band and the “Practice Space Demo” certainly fulfilled that early potential. With this full-length they’ve carried along the same path and expanded their repertoire. What the band needs to do now is offer more in the way of variation to prevent them from becoming yet another in a long list of Sabbath clones. For now though, Windhand are an awesome all-conquering beast who you should seriously consider investigating.

[Originally published on The Sleeping Shaman, 01/10/11]
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/w/windhand-st-cd-2011/