If you take your riffage black, thick and slooooow—that's five o's—then do not hesitate to pick up a copy of the just-released Ritual Abuse, the Relapse records debut by Richmond, Virginia's Cough. Arriving just in time to soundtrack our city's inevitable plunge into the dark months—here's lookin' at you, November rain—Cough's spaced out, dirgey sludge will have you welcoming every black cloud that comes your way.
Doomy, downtuned guitars—given copious, cavernous space and time to ring out—riff hard and stony over a hard-hitting, snails-pace rhythm section. If Sleep, Electric Wizard or all things sleeveless and/or denim are your cup of tea, these are your new dudes. Check out "Crippled Wizard," which clock in at 6:50 and is still the shortest song on the record. The band keeps the skull slowly banging through heavy chugs, psychy delay-washed vocals and a wah-wah'ed Iommi lead before it's epic, synthy conclusion.
LISTEN:
Cough - "Crippled Wizard"
Cough are scheduled to come through town 12/01/2010, at Plan B with Atriarch and Amarok.