SLOWER is a doom and stoner supergroup initially formed as a SLAYER cover band. If you’ve listened to their self-titled debut, released in January 2024, you will have heard thrash metal classics such as War Ensemble and South Of Heaven like you’ve never heard them before. The fact that these covers were being played by Bob Balch of FU MANCHU, Esben Willems of MONOLORD, along with various members of KYUSS, KYLESA and LOWRIDER made it even more of an event.
Less than twelve months later SLOWER have reconvened as a three-piece to release their sophomore record. Initially conceived as a full doom reworking of SLAYER’s classic early EP Haunting The Chapel, the band decided to change tack when, according to guitarist and project founder Balch in the sleeve notes, “we got to Captor Of Sin and realised that song did not want to be slowed down at all”. Rather than abandon the project altogether, though, they simply decided to start writing their own material. The result is the excellent Rage And Ruin.
Opening with original song Hellfire, the riffs still retain a real SLAYER vibe, albeit one at a much slower BPM than you might be used to. The crunching fuzz of Balch’s guitars locks in immediately with the rumbling bass of Amy Tung-Barrysmith (YEAR OF THE COBRA) and Willems’ thunderous rhythms to create a huge groove. Tung-Barrysmith’s dreamy, otherworldly vocals float in from leftfield, her multi-layered harmonies providing a satisfying contrast to the weight of the music beneath.
As with their first album, the two SLAYER tracks that do feature here have been reworked (and, of course, slowed down) to be almost unrecognisable and they fit in surprisingly well with the original compositions on offer here. Chemical Warfare is the first cover to make an appearance and again the combination of fuzzy groove and laid back vocals create a completely different atmosphere to the original while holding on to the darkness that makes it an extreme metal classic. Likewise, Haunting The Chapel is changed from a heads down, proto-thrash slice of metal to a bluesy, groove-fuelled monster that wouldn’t sound out of place on an early CATHEDRAL album.
Unlike their first album, though, on Rage And Ruin the covers – as good as they are – end up taking a backseat to SLOWER’s self-penned songs. Gates Of Hell is built around a descending riff straight out of the Tony Iommi playbook, the addition of a simple tambourine adding even more swing to Willems’ drums in the chorus and the vocals once again ensuring this doesn’t just become another SABBATH rip-off. If anything, the band’s origins in SLAYER covers has given their own songs a darker, nastier feel, with a whole other layer of sexiness added courtesy of those bluesy riffs and alluring vocals.
The title track, which closes the record, is the only song that takes a different course, starting off with two minutes of haunting, reverb-heavy vocals and piano before the heaviness kicks in again, this time in the shape of a slower (no pun intended), classic doom metal riff with Eastern overtones that become really apparent as the song progresses. Hand claps punctuate the riffs to add another level of percussive intrigue and at this point you’ll likely be grateful that SLOWER have abandoned the covers and stuck to their own stuff. This final song really starts to feel like it’s probing new territory and is incredibly exciting in terms of what it promises in the future from SLOWER.
Ultimately, Rage And Ruin is a real surprise. What may have been anticipated as a fun album with novelty value for doomheads and SLAYER fans alike is actually a colossal, grooving and original doom beast in its own right and really deserves attention from all metal fans across the heaviness spectrum.
Rating: 8/10
Rage And Ruin is out now via Heavy Psych Sounds.
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