Stoner Sludge - United States
Those infamous sludge outlaws WEEDEATER finally return with their long-awaited fifth full-length ‘Goliathan’. Their new album marks the crossroads where true Southern rock and metal meet raw humour, old religion, as well as weed and whiskey. ‘Goliathan’ embodies the band’s trademark shuffle and swagger at their fullest. Syrupy slow riffs are buoyed by canyon-deep bass and some of the hardest-hitting drumming since Keith Moon. Full-on bruisers such as “Cain Enabler”, “Claw of the Sloth”, and the aptly-named “Bully” demonstrate that ‘Goliathan’ is delivering a vintage WEEDEATER and the soon-to-be gold standard of Southern sludge metal. At its founding, the band rose like a doobie phoenix out of the ashes of BUZZOV•EN. When the cult sludge act called it a day, bass player Dave “Dixie” Collins teamed up with guitarist Dave “Shep” Shepherd and founded WEEDEATER in the harbor town of Wilmington about the year 1998. Their crushing and massive first full-length ‘…and Justice for Y’all’ (2001) created an immediate buzz, while critics were struggling to put a tag on their sound. Nearly everybody agreed that stoner rock, doom, sludge and some crusty elements were part of the mix, which the band simply calls “weed metal”. The debut was produced by renowned engineer Billy Anderson (EYEHATEGOD, NEUROSIS) as well as sophomore album ‘Sixteen Tons’ (2002). WEEDEATER went out to perform live with CORROSION OF CONFORMITY and ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY among others. After some detours of Dixie Dave, who played shortly with BONGZILLA and SOURVEIN, third album ‘God Luck and Good Speed’ hit the world in 2007 and shifted the band’s focus slightly towards the stoner side. The latest full-length ‘Jason… the Dragon’ got delayed when vocalist Dixie Dave lost a toe due to an incident with his favourite shotgun. When the sludge driven album finally came out in 2011, shows in the US and Europe cemented the band’s reputation as a fierce live entity. After signing to Season of Mist, WEEDEATER reissued their full back-catalogue on their new label. Yet the Bible Belt state of North Carolina, USA remains a fertile ground for hemp and stoner rock. ‘Goliathan’ makes the South smoke again. Lean back and let this monster record blow your mind!
Their home-brewed metallic sludge has only gotten heavier with age, but when it comes to blazing the old dusty trail, there’s no slowing down Weedeater. The veteran Coastal Carolina stoners are fresh off an uproarious East Coast run with GWAR and a trippy European tour. Now, the band are ready to take the high seas by storm later this year with High on Fire.
Y’all hear that? The rumble in the distance ain’t your drunk uncle on his third pass at the chili cook-off; it’s the almighty, riff-crushing, eardrum-busting caravan of renegades known as WEEDEATER. And guess what, Europe? They’re stormin’ your castles with a tour chock-full of Southern-fried metal madness that’s heavier than a double-loaded barbecue platter after Mardi Gras.
Weedeater just sparked up a fresh run of U.S. tour dates, but the sludgy stoners are riding so high off their first two shows that they already need a re-up. Today, the band are announcing another month’s worth of dates, including an especially uproarious run with GWAR.
Roll up a fat one, because Weedeater are ready to ride another rip-roaring high. The sludge-stoned tar heels are chasing the dragon up and down the East Coast this spring. Along the way, they’ll be throwing wizard fights aboard the Rocks Off Concert Cruise and chunking $20 peanuts at Grim Reefer Fest.
WEEDEATER are loaded up and ready to ride. The sludge-stoned cowboys are blazing the ol’ dusty trail later this summer with 10+ shows across the Northeast and Midwest. Along the way, they’re hitting a couple festivals, including a headlining spot at Slower & Harder Fest.
