Covering Slayer is a tricky business. Many bands have tried and failed, and despite displaying obvious reverence to the Californian Thrash legends, only a handful have ever really been able to do real justice to the source material. And of those, it’s the ones who arrive from left field that remain in the memory the most.

From Finnish cellists Apocalyptica to LA rap-metallers Body Count, it’s US singer/pianist Tori Amos who produced arguably the most innovative cross-genre take back in 2001 when she gave the world a very different version of “Raining Blood”.  And now it’s the turn of Fu Manchu guitarist Bob Balch, the stoner metal legend getting the idea after teaching a student how to play “South of Heaven” in a different tuning and, well… Slower.
Released via Heavy Psych Sounds, this self-titled five-track EP brings together several other like-minded musicians prepared to take a slothful but bold step into what is probably best described as speed doom.

Kicking off with the fuzzy guitar tones of “War Ensemble”, the now ten minute-plus song is given a serious Black Sabbath vibe with the help of Monolord drummer Esben Willems, Lowrider bassist Peder Bergstrand, and in a stroke of genius, the haunting vocals of Amy Barrysmith from Year of the Cobra. 

A murky eight-minute cover of “The Antichrist” follows, Barrysmith’s voice continuing to give each song a completely different edge. The anti-authoritarian “Blood Red” still resounds with cynical violence even at a more lethargic pace while the serial killer creeping of “Dead Skin Mask” sounds like it was written specifically for a project like this, Barrysmith’s vocals even more chilling than before.

Tweaking the line-up for final cut “South of Heaven”, Balch calls upon former Kylesa vocalist Laura Pleasants and bassist Scott Reeder formerly of sludge legends Kyuss to create something just as darkly insidious as the original. 

Notoriously unforgiving, some Slayer fans are guaranteed to be sent spinning into a fit of rage at the mere thought of something like this. And the act of replacing Tom Araya‘s gruff bark with soft, lilting feminine tones? Yeah, I’m pretty sure some heads will actually explode. 

However, despite the idea sounding like something found on TikTok, a project like this is so much more effective in correct, experienced hands. Dark, haunting and blood-curdlingly creepy, whether it’s played at 1mph or 1000, Slower explores the same fathomless depths as Slayer, just in a very different way.

Buy the EP here:
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/slower-slower

7 / 10
GARY ALCOCK