German bands, hardcore/doom crew, Crowskin, and sludge/doom squad, Bad Luck Rides On Wheels, have teamed up for a split LP, titled Verstummt/Monocelestial Chords. This is the first release of 2024 for long-running exploratory record label Exile On Mainstream, and is due out on February 23rd. Keep reading for more information.
Find physical LP preorders here, digital preorders/presaves for Crowskin audio here, and Bad Luck Rides On Wheels digital here.
The four tracks of this full-length split LP have been waiting for a release since 2017. So, it was time for the story of a friendship between two bands to reach its happy ending. Although, ‘happy’ is a bit misleading here – apart from friendship, what predominantly connects the two bands is the slow layering of riffs: unpretentious, negative, and cathartic. The result is a monolithic sound and content that pose more questions than this life can answer.
In the German lyrics of Crowskin, this frustration finds its counterpart: helpless anger paired with dark melancholy following dragging rhythms and dark emotionalism. The A-side of the split, titled Verstummt, contains three songs from the band: “Wolves,” “Resthirn,” and “Verstummt.” Bad Luck Rides On Wheels occupies the B-side of the record with the single track “Monocelestial Chords” lasting over fifteen minutes, pushing the listener to the limits right from a repetitive, dark version of a Kraut reminiscent intro, before evolving into a grooving sludge monster inspired by Baudelaire’s “Flowers of Evil.”
Both sides of the record were recorded in Rostock at the studio of Bad Luck Rides On Wheels’ drummer, Pierre Bernhardt, who managed to capture the individuality as well as the common ground of both bands.
The Crowskin/Bad Luck Rides On Wheels split will be released on 12” vinyl and digitally.
Verstummt/Monocelestial Chords tracklisting:
01 Wolves – Crowskin
02 Resthirn – Crowskin
03 Verstummt – Crowskin
04 Monocelestial Chords – Bad Luck Rides On Wheels
Crowskin has been around since 2004. The doom/sludge quintet from Potsdam/ Magdeburg/Zittau channels feelings such as anger, frustration, and fear into a dark concoction of downtuned guitars, deafening feedback, and dragging grooves. The goal: maximum catharsis. Crowskin emerges from the DIY hardcore underground scene. The members also do and did play in bands like Cyness, Mist, Chainbreaker, and Brink Of Despair. They gladly share the stage with like-minded and friendly spirits, valuing attitude over musical similarities.
Bad Luck Rides On Wheels from Rostock also formed in 2004, established as a post-metal project filled with dark endless prog jams. The members also currently play in or have previously played with bands such as Wojczech, Who’s My Saviour, and Exile On Mainstream labelmates Confusion Master. After years of endless tours, serious mental breakdowns, and challenges, the power trio has now arrived in absolute darkness, with hypnotic sound loops, incredibly heavy drums, and impenetrable guitars, from which vocals emerge from somewhere deep down.
Follow Crowskin:
https://www.facebook.com/crowskin666
Follow Bad Luck Rides On Wheels:
https://www.facebook.com/BadLuckRidesOnWheels