Slower (the all-Slayer cover project formed by members of Fu Manchu, Kylesa, Monolord, Lowrider, Kyuss, and Year Of The Cobra) present their crushing and hypnotic rendition of Slayer's all-time-classic "South Of Heaven". The song is taken from their self-titled debut album, to be released this Friday, January 26th on Heavy Psych Sounds.
The full lineup behind the glacial glory of Slower features six major players from the international stoner and doom metal scene: guitarist Bob Balch of Fu Manchu, drummer Esben Willems of Monolord, bassist Peder Bergstrand of Lowrider, bassist Scott Reeder of Fireball Ministry (also ex-Kyuss), vocalist Laura Pleasants of Kylesa and vocalist Amy Barrysmith of Year Of The Cobra. This unique recording will catch all heavy and doom metal fans off guard, delivering five fully reinvented Slayer classics with heavier-than-thou atmospheres and compelling ethereal vocals from the Kylesa and Year of the Cobra frontwomen.
The bewitching "South Of Heaven" cover features Laura Pleasants (Kylesa) on vocals, Scott Reeder (Kyuss) on bass, Bob Balch (Fu Manchu) on guitar and Esben Willems (Monolord) on drums. About the song, Bob Balch says: "The main riff to 'South Of Heaven' was what started the entire Slower project. Once I demoed that riff, I knew that this record had to be made eventually. I was teaching a student so we slowed down the riff. I thought it would be really cool to tune down and play it heavy and make it doomy. This is the only song on the record that features Laura Pleasants on vocals and Scott Reeder on bass. The main structure/demo of this recording goes back to 2020. Now, almost four years later, I’m super stoked that people get to hear it. Enjoy.”
About this collaborative project, Bob Balch explains: “The idea for the Slower project started around four years ago. I was teaching a student how to play 'South Of Heaven' by Slayer but she was a beginner so we slowed it down. I thought that sounded cool so I tuned down to B standard and tried it. I added some drums and thought “someone in the doom community should do this and name it Slower.”
“A few years later I befriended Steven 'Thee Slayer Hippy' Hanford, best known for his work as the drummer in the influential Oregon punk band Poison Idea. He was backstage at a Fu Manchu show. Oddly enough I was wearing a Poison Idea shirt and he told me that my shirt sucks. I asked who he was and why he was in our backstage. He told me and I felt stupid. We started drinking whiskey and talking about music. We stayed in touch over the next year or so and during Covid I told him about my Slower idea. He asked me to send him tracks. I waited too long because the day I sent the tracks he passed away. Totally tragic. I’m glad I got to know him even for a few years. He was a monster musician with a giant heart. He will be greatly missed.”
“I shelved the project for a while after that. One day Esben from Monolord posted about musical collaborations. I love Monolord so I thought what the hell. I sent him some tracks and he killed it on drums. So I sent more. Then more. Shortly after that, we started reaching out to other musicians to get them involved. That’s how we ended up with this lineup. Everyone that contributed completely knocked it out of the park and I can’t thank them enough.”
“This project has been a long time coming and I’m beyond stoked on how it turned out. Without all of the players involved, Steven Hanford and my baritone Reverend guitar it wouldn’t have happened. Thanks to everyone involved and I hope you dig it! I’m a giant Slayer fan so it’s been a treat to dig into these classic songs. Hopefully, we can do another record in the near future. Look out for shows because they will happen!”
Tracklisting:
"War Ensemble"
"The Antichrist"
"Blood Red"
"Dead Skin Mask"
"South Of Heaven"
(Cover artwork by Peder Bergstrand)
