VA - A Butcher’s Waltz (4-way split LP)

Ah, good to finally be back. Incredibly sorry for the long break there, but getting settled into my new living quarters took a bit longer than I’d expected. There are still some things to take care of, however time is freeing up some and BOAWS should be back in action now. And with that said, on to the music…

A Butcher’s Waltz may very well be the first four way split that I’ve ever really written about on these pages. After getting a look of the bands involved, it was made pretty clear to me that I’d probably find a lot to like on it. And even the one group that I wasn’t familiar with, Power Take Off, turns out to be the new band featuring Gus Engstrom formerly of Grids. As most of you know, that certainly makes it something of interest around here. The other bands contributing some songs are Seawhores, Skoal Kodiak, and Gay Witch Abortion. So yeah, a pretty nice collection of bands, to say the least.

Opening things up on the a-side of A Butcher’s Waltz is the collective known as Seawhores who, for whatever reason, have pretty much eluded me since their excellent LP Forest back in 2006. I do recall listening to Opus Magnanimous somewhere in between there, but at this point likely needs a re-listen. The band also put out a one-sided 12” on Amphetamine Reptile just last year, but I didn’t have the dough for that and in turn haven’t had a chance to hear it. Judging by the songs featured on this split however, I’m going to have make more of an effort to do so as the three tunes that they share with us here are pretty fantastic. Both “Our Embassy” and “The Cleaning Lady” are steamrollers of vaguely groove oriented noise-rock. And of course, they manage to throw in a bit of the spontaneity that has become sort of a signature to what they do with a track like “The Architect” that sounds more like Freddy Votel’s other project Skoal Kodiak here. Good set of tunes, and if anything, I’m happy that this record could jog my memory a bit about these guys.

Filling up the rest of the main side is Power Take Off, which as I previously mentioned, is the project of former Grids member Gus Engstrom. The track “Plow Share” is the lone helping here from the band, however it happens to span a lofty 10 minutes. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing one of Rusted Shut’s lengthier noise excursions on any of their records, then you already have an excellent idea of what Power Take Off sound like. The track leaps into a slow distortion heavy trudge that rolls along for a good portion of the track, really only taking a very small break somewhere in the middle of the song for what I would assume is a sample of an auctioneer at a cattle auction. Ah, the Midwest. This isn’t as hateful/miserable as Rusted Shut, but certainly has the same crunch to succeed in the same type of way. Dig it and definitely look forward to hearing more.

On the b-side is Skoal Kodiak leading the way with two songs that certainly fit the bill for this project of mutated noise and dub heavy beats. They are fresh off a solid record that was just released on Load Records, and it’s safe to say that those of you out there enjoyed that, then these tracks will likely be of interest. Often sounding like every part of every appliance you own circling the drain, Skoal Kodiak skillfully sketch together funk laced beats and the swirling noise to present something that often truly sounds otherworldly. It’s no secret that Minneapolis has been a breeding ground for this type of experimentation over the years, and with Votel’s time in both the Cows and Seawhores, this almost seems natural. Almost.

I feel that the pairing of Skoal Kodiak and Gay Witch Abortion on the b-side was a good idea, as they both tend to explore an uncomfortable mutoid type of rock and give this record somewhat of a tale of two sides feel. Gay Witch Abortion kind of sit closer to something like Lightning Bolt I’d say, with a rather significant focus on percussion. They have six songs on the LP, and as you may have guessed, they are quite short in length. The briefness of it all almost makes it sound like the entire thing runs together for one longer bi-polar track, which actually kind of works in their favor. I like it, but need a bit more to get me off the fence on these guys.

Seawhores – Our Embassy (stream)
Power Take Off – Plow Share (stream)
Skoal Kodiak – Ruined Rings (stream)
Gay Witch Abortion – Angola Rodeo (stream)

Anyone looking to pick this up can do so by hitting up Learning Curve Records. Definitely worth it if you’re a fan of one or more of these groups.