City Of Dust, the debut full-length release from Arizona’s anarcho-sludge faction, GODHUNTER, is now less than two weeks from deliverance, the fifty-minute politically-antagonizing concept album unleashing the band’s most musically diverse and lyrically thought-provoking anthems yet.
Killer reactions to City Of Dust are showing up from around the globe, GODHUNTER‘s gritty but moody blend of harsh crust/punk persuasion to their craft a welcome change of pace from some of the more practiced contemporary deliveries of sludge metal. Among the stoned-out dirges on the ever-morphing tectonic surge of City Of Dust, one of the instant stand-out tracks is the fourth of the album’s eight; the venomous “Snake Oil Dealer.” Uncoiling over nearly seven and-a-half slow-burning minutes, the agony of the band’s tonal crush is soaked with some of the most ethereal Moog-driven atmospherics of the album, in addition bearing some of the members’ brutally-honest, confrontational views on their home state’s governmental downfalls. The band released a statement on the lyrical basis of the song, aimed at some of the specific politicians, bills and propaganda they feel are deliberately to blame in recent years, some of which has been posted alongside an exclusive listen to the track via Vice Magazine’s music channel, Noisey.
Blast “Snake Oil Dealer” at Noisey RIGHT HERE.
Also view the full statement by GODHUNTER on the track below.
The song Snake Oil Dealer is about the state of political disrepair Arizona has been suffering though in recent years. Under the reign of persons like Jan Brewer, Tom Horne, and Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Arizona has made a name for itself as a state that caters to divisive politics, media sensationalism, and the spectacle of catering legislative appeal to the lowest common denominator of society. These dealers of deception serve to supply the addict with another fix. In this case, it is half-truths, misinformation, and race-baiting.
Whether those actions include the outright abolition of an educational program that serves to empower underserved communities, crafting bills like S.B.1070 that exist only to target persons of a particular skin color or social profile, or distilling mistruths from a precariously balanced soap box, these sociopaths exist not to serve the state they purport to serve. They instead serve only their own narrow minded self-interest that caters to a xenophobic vision, ultimately threatened by demographic shifts and changes to the prevalent culture.
On January 8, 2011 U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, along with eighteen other people were shot at a gathering in Tucson by Jared Loughner. This event sparked a tirade of propaganda from the entire political spectrum. As our community grieved from the pain and loss of this tragedy, political actors jumped at the opportunity to promote their agendas. Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik spoke truth to power the day after the shooting, denouncing the atmosphere of hate that too often clouds the landscape, both locally and nationally. We included his powerful words at the end of the song.
It is the duty of the patriot, the vigilant citizen, the activist, to stand steadfast against these types of persons who would rather divide than unite. Across the world, every city has its own fair share of these type of maniacs. They must be resisted and confronted, in order that their poisonous positions are minimized.
The first single from City Of Dust, the equally inflamed “Brushfires,” was previously released with another testimonial from the band via Decibel HERE.
City Of Dust will see release on February 18th, a cooperative release between Earsplit’s label, The Compound, and Godhunter’s Battleground Records. Preorders for the CD are available now via Earsplit Distro HERE.
A deluxe 180-gram LP pressing is now under construction and will be available before Summer. GODHUNTER also erected their official website this week at dirtweedmetal.com, and The Compound launched thecompoundrecs.com.
With a barrage of stateside tour actions being prepped for the upcoming months and through the rest of 2014, GODHUNTER are currently notifying all area bandits of their release show for City Of Dust. The shit hits the fans in Tucson on Saturday, February 15th, a FREE SHOW with their bros in Lord Dying and a rack of others, and surely, enough cervezas to flood the Sonoran Desert.
GODHUNTER City Of Dust Record Release Show:
2/15/2014 The Rock – Tucson, AZ w/ Lord Dying, Inoculara, Lariats, Conqueror Worm, Fuzz Evil [info]
“There’s the unmistakable sludge doom fingerprints over Weedeater or Eyehategod in their DNA, but they lack the former’s zoned out weed influence or the latter’s nihilistic, drug addled hatred. What Godhunter do have in spades is riffs… City Of Dust is a record by a band coming into their own… Godhunter could become something very special one day, and this is only the beginning.” – The Sleeping Shaman
“Tales this morose and despondent need the occasional chaotic implosion, and Godhunter smear a canvas with ugly truth. These eight tracks won’t warm your bones. But more importantly, they’ll crack open your crusty, sunken eyes. Throw in gigantic riff timber and hickory-smoked rhythmic filth and we’re hearing one of 2014’s best albums. City of Dust is a structured and informed refusal of acceptance. In the sludge style, we rarely get this much substance.” – Heavy Planet
“The singer sounds like he just scraped his throat with hot lava. The guitars are at a level where the amplifiers do no longer smoke but melt. The aggression and overheating is cooled down with beer, loads of beers.” – Lords of Metal
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