Artist: (The Lord Weird) Slough Feg
Album: New Organon
Genre: Prog-Rock, Heavy Metal
Country: USA
Release date: 21st of June, 2019
Released via: Cruz Del Sur Music
Cover artwork © Cruz Del Sur Music 2019
Slough Feg formed in 1990 as The Lord Weird Slough Feg and used this name until 2005. From then on they used the short form Slough Feg. Now in 2019, they go back to the roots and use their full name again, more or less. I’ll keep it short in this review, so it’s just Slough Feg for me here. Today there is only one member left of the original line-up – and that is singer, guitarist and head of the band Mike Scalzi.
New Organon gives us 10 new tracks and 37 minutes of music. The shortest track is “Sword of Machiavelli” with a playtime of only 2:18 minutes, the longest track is the first one “Headhunter” with 5:06 minutes of playtime. During the first minutes of listening to the album it feels like a little time-travel back to the 70s because of the album’s sound. You can hear a wonderful analogue sound, you can hear the room in which the drums were recorded and the guitars sound like thirty years ago. On some songs Slough Feg reminds me of Jethro Tull, but with Ian Anderson who switched to a second electric guitar, leaving his flute and the folk in the bag. I like the sound.
Concerning the songs themselves, I need to think of Jethro Tull as well, because Slough Feg go their own way and don’t seem to care about common build-ups in music, like verse, refrain and stuff like that. Another important aspect in the overall sound is the usage of two guitars, often fighting some double-lead battles, which remind me of Iron Maiden – of course. Even some of the Maiden’s typical galloping-riffing can be found in Slough Feg’s music – on the album’s title track. But then the band surprises with a song like “Coming Of Age In The Milky Way” which sounds somehow wrong but right at the same time, and I get thirsty and wish to have a damn Pina Colada – if you know what I mean. The following “Exegesis – Tragic Holligan” sounds more like an epic event, so completely different, and there will be even more surprises on each song of the album.
If you’re still waiting for new Prog-Rock and early Metal music from the 70s and 80s New Organon is exactly what you’re looking for. If you like melodic lead guitars in your music – stay a while and listen. If your music doesn’t need Mesa Boogie Rectifier or a Peavy 5150 in it, but more old school Marshall or Orange amps, give Slough Feg a try. But I miss a Cowbell 😉
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
(Strong) 7 / 10
As usual, we added two recommendations to our Transcended Review Playlist.
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