Hailing from the rugged hills of northern Wisconsin, 20 Watt Tombstone is ready to bring their brand of fiery rock n roll to the masses with their new EP titled “Death Blues vs. The Dirty Spliff”. The band has been dubbed “Death Blues,” and the moniker fits with influences ranging from modern bands like Clutch and the Black Keys to the iconic Motorhead and hallowed country blues musicians Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside.
Taking those influences and injecting their own stamp of southern groove rock, 20 Watt Tombstone call in all the best elements and add some real stoner fuzz-like quality to the recording which adds to the lively feel of the sound. Sonically it’s the complete opposite of modern recording techniques with a real analog sounding vibe, the off the cuff drum beats, in particular that foot stomping kick drum gives the impression that this was recorded completely off the floor and on tape which makes this release even better.
With 5 tracks on offer, “Death Blues vs. The Dirty Spliff” showcases southern rock at it’s primal best but with a modern touch. Lair Of The Swamp Witch is loose and groovy with a hint of biker attitude, greasy and ballsy but catchy as hell. Your Mans A Jerk is short but sweet and focuses on just riffing out whereas Whiskey In My Brain is a fuzzy stoner with a bluesy overtone and, hard to believe even more casual in it’s loose swagger. Now She’s Gone takes the southern fried rock aspect and rubs some dirt into your ears for a sonic bluesy take, definitely one of the highlights here but the EP ends just as strong as it started with the closing Untitled track.
Even ending things with an outtake of the band joking around which just fits with the whole vibe of this record, there’s a theme here that can’t be denied and the realness of it all sonically, musically and conceptually is done well. Definitely one to check out if your into some raw guitars and groove tempo stuff.
TRACKLIST
Lair of the Swamp Witch
Your man’s a jerk
Whiskey in my brain
Now she’s gone
Untitled