El Sledge (+): Fletcher's Last Night (EP)

El Sledge (+) is the duo of Stephen Sroka (drums) and Mathew Graboski (guitar, vocals). The project formed in 2008 and was previously known as El Sledge as it only consisted as Graboski. The album was recorded live on November 27, 2009 and is a short one at just over twenty minutes but during that time the band certainly is able to get their point across. This album rocks with intensity and after listening to Fletcher's Last Night I was reminded why I like to go to clubs in the first place – to hear live music. There is a raw intensity here that is sure to get your attention and with song titles like "Pig Vomit", "Disembowel" and "Wretched Anchor" you just know this will not be easy to digest. As to be expected with limited equipment, the recording quality is not the greatest but that makes the listening experience all the more real.

The music played by El Sledge (+) is a little difficult to pin down. Heavy alternative/indie rock would be my best guess which is an area I am not completely familiar with. The band lists many influences on their MySpace Page including Fantomas and Jeff Buckley which seem to be a good starting point when describing this music. Sroka pummels his drum kit senseless as Graboski screams and wails through the microphone and squelching guitar chords hit you in the face. This band is anything but subtle but they do throw in some atmospheric sections to ease the brutality and Groboski actually has a pretty good voice when he tones down the screams.

This is a pretty interesting offering from El Sledge (+) showing the band has quite the potential to produce some quality stuff. With a little more refinement I would be interested in hearing what they come up with on a studio release. In the meantime, get ready to rock with Fletcher's Last Night.

Track Listing:
1. Pig Vomit
2. Apokalupsis
3. Treowth
4. Wretched Anchor
5. Hunger For Power
6. Disembowel
7. Baptism Of Fire

Added: September 4th 2010
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's MySpace Page
Hits: 2512
Language: english

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