SLOTHRUST/WEAKENED FRIENDS – LIVE AT THE SINCLAIR
By Rick Fleck
Less than two weeks since the last sold-out show I attended at The Sinclair – a venerable live music club a stone’s throw from Cambridge’s Harvard Yard – I found myself returning for the “sludgy” guitar-driven rock of Slothrust. This is a show I had been anticipating since I saw that they were making the final stop of their Of Course You Do 10 Year Anniversary tour on home turf. I had immersed myself in a deep-dive of all things Slothrust and, like the line that snaked around the block toward Mass Ave, I was anxiously awaiting the start of the show.
Slothrust opened with the instrumental “Surf Goth,” an aptly titled song with King Crimson-like time changes. “Surf Goth” was followed by “Cranium,” a haunting number with vocals reminiscent of both Patty Smith and Kim Gordon. “Cranium” included an extended guitar solo that harkened back to the hard rock/proto-metal songs of the early 1970s. “The Next Curse” had a guitar intro a la Joy Division that later veered into hard rock territory as well. The lyrics elicited Black Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral.”
Slothrust is a wholly unique band made up of guitarist/singer/songwriter Leah Wellbaum and drummer/percussionist Will Gorin. They were joined onstage by bassist Annie Hoffman of the opening band Weakened Friends. Innovative and creative, with excellent musicianship, I was enthralled by all the twists and turns the music took. “Homewreck Wife,” for instance, sounded like it could be built on a waltz step. “Intro” was another excellent instrumental and could easily fit on a Pelican album.
Photos Rick Fleck
Lead track “Cubicle” began Slothrust’s playing of their entire 2014 breakthrough album Of Course You Do, in tracklist order. “Cubicle” sounds like an homage to the Pixies. Many of the set’s songs had a Pixies element to them, especially the guitar sound. Wellbaum’s voice is a remarkable instrument. During “Cubicle,” one could hear hints of both Kim Deal and Courtney Love. Slothrust takes inspiration from a myriad of disparate sources, but always turns them into something uniquely their own. For example, the lyrics and delivery of “Juice” brought back memories of the off-the-wall insanity of Gibby Haynes and the Electriclarrlyland era of the Butthole Surfers.
One of the things I most appreciated about Wellbaum’s guitar playing were her solos. They never felt tacked on like you’ll hear from other bands. Wellbaum’s solos were completely organic, enhancing songs and taking them to the next level. “Magnets Pt. 1” and “Magnets Pt. 2,” played as one piece, created an opus that reminded me of the harder prog rock one might find on Porcupine Tree’s In Abstentia album. The epic ascended into a climactic finale of thunderous bliss. Wellbaum started Slothrust’s statement piece by cheekily declaring of “Magnets Pt.1,” this song “starts with a guitar part I couldn’t play when I wrote it.” She certainly can now.
“The Couch Incident” took the show into new territory. It’s a post-metal song that Hole, playing at their heaviest, might sound like live. I don’t know how Slothrust feels about the heavy metal tag. They aren’t a heavy metal band per se. They have more alternative elements than your typical metal band. Their lyrics and aesthetics aren’t what one would traditionally associate with metal (although metal is spreading its wings in the new century). But Slothrust are a guitar-oriented band and, at times, very heavy. “Beowulf” was a frenetic heavy metal/hard rocker that included Wellbaum striking some traditional guitar god poses as she soloed.
“Pony,” a Ginuwine cover, is an inspired choice and Slothrust’s current single. I’ve always been a fan of cover songs when an artist brings something new to it, instead of producing a rote copy. It’s remarkable how Slothrust re-envisioned and then executed their version of “Pony,” originally an R&B/Hip-hop mega-hit. For me, “Pony” was the highlight of the night. It was exuberantly embraced by the crowd, who were loud and enthusiastic all night long. “Horseshoe Crab” and “Planetarium” were the encores, with the latter ending the night on a Ramones-like flurry of straight ahead rock ‘n’ roll.
Hailing from the music well-spring of Portland, ME, opening band Weakened Friends – married couple Sonia Sturino (vocals, guitar) and the aforementioned Annie Hoffman (bass, vocals), and Adam Hand (drums) – played a generous 12 song set. Hoffman on bass is a blast to watch. She is all over the stage, jumping around, her baseball hat askew, with a big smile on her face. Her enthusiasm is infectious. She can also lay down some incredible bass lines, bringing the funk to some songs as well.
Photos Rick Fleck
“Spew” reminded me of vintage Nirvana. Two songs later “Haunted House” blew my mind. Sturino introduced the song by saying, “Inside your head is the most haunted place in the world.” Then she advised us all to “Casper it,” referring to that injurious inner voice, raising thunderous cheers from the audience. The set included an unlikely, yet highly effective, cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” that retained the emotional impact of the original while transforming it from a ballad into a hard rock gem.
Slothrust was in many ways a revelation. Many people of my generation – Baby Boomers/early Gen X – tend to live in a world of classic rock radio, afraid to stray from the familiar. Younger generations aren’t saddled with this handicap. They readily explore music from all decades. It’s humbling to realize that music from the early 70s is now 50 years old.
Slothrust’s album Of Course You Do is only 10 years old, yet I wonder how many of my peers know it. They are greatly missing out if they don’t. Slothrust is an unmistakingly modern beast, but they have influences that reach back into rock’s history, making their appeal timeless to fans of hard rock, proto-metal, and the harder edge of the 90s alternative rock scene.
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