SHUN: Heavy Blog Is Heavy Premieres Dismantle From North/South Carolina Heavy Rock Outfit; LP To Drop This Friday On Small Stone Recordings

Photo by Audrey Wilson

Heavy Blog Is Heavy is currently streaming Dismantle, the long-awaited new full-length from North/South Carolina-based heavy rock outfit SHUN, in its entirety! The exclusive premiere comes in advance of the record’s official release this Friday, July 19th on Small Stone Recordings.

SHUN released their self-titled debut to positive critical acclaim through Small Stone in 2021. Three years later, Dismantle continues several crucial threads from the debut in terms of songwriting and the returning production of J. Robbins (Jawbox, Government Issue) – who also contributes percussion, guitar, and synth to the record – while expanding their scope with a more refined crunch and drifting, ethereal outreach. It is heavier and paints a broader landscape in Matt Whitehead’s vocal and guitar melodies, able to take a prog-metal chug in “Horses” and reshape it as the backdrop for weighted post-rock while refusing to sap its own vitality in service to shoegazey posturing.

Bands such as Cave In and Hum feel like touchstones as much as Sabbath and whom, or whatever, may have inspired the crush tucked at the end of “You’re The Sea,” and while Dismantle may hint as a title at notions of things coming apart, there’s as much being built in its ten tracks as is being destroyed. What results from the trio of Whitehead, bassist Jeff Baucom, and drummer Rob Elzey (Bo Leslie has since joined on guitar, re-completing the lineup) is material varied in its purpose but drawn together in traditional fashion by the electricity of its performances.

Writes Heavy Blog Is Heavy, “Dismantle… deftly swims in the waters between grunge, stoner, and doom. Now, you know I’m not the world’s biggest fan of grunge but here, the influences (mainly on the vocals but not only) work incredibly well. They blend with the heavier riffs to create a sort of dreaminess that’s very alluring, shrouding the album in something unique and ethereal all of its own… ‘Aviator’… does a great job of showcasing how well this sound works on Dismantle. The track also has this pop quality to it that made me think of Torche or Clutch in the best of ways. Elsewhere, this bouncy groove is channeled through heavier to create a bigger, more doom and stoner centered sound.”

**Read more and stream SHUN’s Dismantle, now playing at Heavy Blog Is Heavy, HERE.**

Dismantle, which features artwork by Alexander Von Wieding, will be released on CD, limited LP, and digital formats through Small Stone Recordings. Find preorders at THIS LOCATION.

Fans of Torche, Cave In, Alice In Chains, Failure, ASG, and huge riffs, pay heed.

SHUN has booked several release shows for Dismantle across the Carolinas including Asheville July 19th, Greenville July 20th, Columbia July 27th, and Brevard August 2nd. See all confirmed dates below and watch for additional live updates to post over the weeks ahead.

SHUN – Dismantle Record Release Shows:
7/19/2024 The Odditorium – Asheville, NC
7/20/2024 Swanson’s Warehouse – Greenville, SC
7/27/2024 New Brookland Tavern – Columbia, SC
8/02/2024 185 King – Brevard, NC

“While their sound as a whole falls under the musical umbrella of alternative rock, you can expect healthy dosages of psych/noise/stoner rock alongside shoegaze and grunge; fans of Cave In are in for a treat! These stylistic flavors alongside succinct compositions make for an immensely satisfying and almost hypnotic musical experience.” – Everything Is Noise

“…an epic sounding album which is backed up by first rate production values that will see SHUN to continue to gain further recognition, prominence and momentum within the doom/stoner metal scenes to promote their brilliant music.” – Outlaws Of The Sun