SLAB! — Smoke Rings (review)

SLAB! — Smoke Rings album cover Single · 1987 · Metal Related Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Unitron
Before Godflesh and Ministry took the metal scene by storm in 1988/1989, there was a little obscure band by the name of Slab! who started all the way back in 1982. Before releasing their debut studio album, the band had a few singles under their belt. These singles were characterized by a unique sound that I doubt anyone would expect to exist as early as 1987.

The two songs on this single are of course the title track, and Abbasloth. The title track is a catchy as hell industrial and jazzy funk metal tune, which has some of the tastiest bass licks that will ever grace your ears. There's such a gigantic sounding beat, that you can't help but stomp your foot or bang your head. The vocal melodies are infectiously catchy, and the saxophone plays off of the funky bass perfectly to bring a jazzy swing to the song.

The second song, the instrumental Abbasloth, is the song that lays on the more avant-garde side. The saxophone has little melody here, instead just sounding like it's being tortured. While avant-garde jazz fans will eat this up, I'm not a fan. What I am a fan of though in this song, is the interesting contrast. The bass remains catchy and funky, though dissonant. Both songs include fantastic screeching and discordant guitar solos which sound straight out of the cult classic 90's Adult Swim show Space Ghost: Coast to Coast.

Slab! would make their masterpiece with their debut studio album in the same year, but this is a great single with a interesting contrast of catchiness and the avant-garde. If industrial funk metal with jazz sounds cool, check this out. Hope you found this review helpful, feel free to comment!
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